Sonic, The Drabbles
by Snodin
Summary: #135: Happy Holidays! Here's a shocking, ultra-violent fic for you all.
1. Dear SEGA: Sonic

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**Dear SEGA…**

**A Sonic drabble**

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To all my associates at SEGA and Sonic Team

Dear friends,

Hi. I know it's been a while since we last talked. I know you've been busy developing my next two games, so I'll try to make this as brief as possible.

Guys, seriously: What the crap happened?

I know the new millennium was a hard time for all of us, but we always knew we could fix up the old glitches and polish up the graphics and things would just get better from there. But have they? No, not really. The franchise has been suffering as of late, and I think I know why. Perhaps it's time I give you MY two cents for a change.

Let's start with Shadow the Hedgehog. Seriously, who thought that the series needed a hedgehog with guns? And who says "Damn it" every two seconds as if he's Jack Bauer? Don't get me wrong, Shadow's an okay guy, but he definitely needs an overhaul. And he certainly doesn't need a new game- EVER.

Amy Rose is next. She's okay for a Mary Sue, but why do you insist on making her a playable character when all she does is run around (veeeery slooooowly) and whack baddies with a giant hammer? Even in the "Advance" games, she's painfully slow and can't even roll up into a ball like the rest of us hedgehogs. Did she forget what species she is, or something? I can go on all day about Amy, but let's move on…

Oh yeah, there's like a billion other characters- most of which I forgot the names of because THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM! …Wait, I remember Cream the Rabbit. She's cute, but she totally ripped that cute factor from Tails, who should be the cute one of the series. I say we ditch the rabbit and give the fox back his credibility. Cause you know, he's been here since 1992…

Which brings me to Knuckles, another old friend. Why. Is. He. So. STUPID? He was never like this in the old 16-bit games. Sure, Robotnik fooled him there, but only because the poor guy (Knuckles, not Robotnik) was on an isolated island. But nowadays he's played off like a chump, taking the backseat and letting other characters do the thinking for him. I don't see the fairness of it at all.

By the way, he's paying me to say all this, but I honestly think he's onto something here.

So yeah, give Knuckles back his dignity, I beg you.

And finally, Robotnik/Eggman. Another once-great character, now a pushover trying to build a theme park. …A theme park. *headdesk*

Can you make a lamer plot device for a main villain? No, that was not a suggestion!

Robotnik, or Eggman, whatever, is supposed to be evil and methodical and must always be a threat to us woodland creatures and humans alike. Stop turning him into a comic relief, for the love of all things holy!

And now comes the most important topic of all: the recent games.

-How DARE you take away my velocity with game tactics like in "Sonic Riders?" Yeah, I saw that part where I'm running like an old man- or Silver- when my board lost its power. I was MORTIFIED!

-And those book-based games like "Secret Rings" and "The Black Knight" weren't that great either. Sure, there was a dark edge to them, but you know my fans aren't interested in classic literature; they just want to see me run and explore new lands like the old days. And without a sword!

-"Sonic Next Gen." Deny its existence all you want, it's still out there, and it still sucks. Oh, and it wasn't enough that we already had three hedgehogs, you had to add in a fourth. Cute. Real cute. And one more thing: Next time you decide to kill me off- and by the way, thanks for doing that to me, after nearly two decades of being your faithful mascot, it really meant so much to me. But anyway, at least make it an honorable death where no humans try to make out with my corpse. "Furry" is only fun on paper.

-Sonic Unleashed was much better, but you can't tell me that Werehog thing was a good idea. Really guys, it's just only half excellent and half crap.

Which brings me to my final advice on the subject of all my next games: Keep it simple.

Enough already with the aliens, and time warps, and alternate universe mumbo-jumbo. Fans don't care about epic plot twists, they just wanna play a fun game. I know you're gonna shoot me for saying this, but I have to say it: learn from Mario. He's been doing well since the 80's, because his games are all about puzzle solving and world exploration. I was like that, back when my games were good. If he can keep doing it, then darn it so can I!

And I already know about those Wisps- please promise me they'll be a one-time deal, cause I really cannot afford any more sidekicks.

Guys, you know I love ya and I'll always be your loyal mascot. But for the love of chili dogs, PLEASE make my next games as simple and fun as possible. Don't give me more "friends," and stop it with the epic sagas already. I- as well as my fans- have had enough of that.

With Love,

Sonic the Hedgehog

-That's right, THE hedgehog! Shadow and Silver can kiss my ass.


	2. The Benefits of Two Tails: Sonic & Tails

The Benefits of Two Tails

From _Sonic the Hedgehop 2_

A Sonic/Tails friendship drabble

Hill Top Zone.

It was bad enough that this place was higher than most places, with the wind always trying to knock them off the cliffs. But at night, it was even colder; the temperature was a bone-chilling 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Forget the fact that there was volcanic magma here; it didn't help matters.

But Sonic and his new friend Tails had no choice but to spend the night there, for it was just too dark to go exploring and they were exhausted from the recent encounter with Dr. Robotnik. A good night's sleep was definitely in order.

The little fox had it easy with his two tails; he curled one under his head as a pillow and covered himself with the other for a blanket. That was always how he bedded down, it was pretty much instinctive now. Sonic, on the other hand, curled up into a spiny blue ball in an attempt to shield his extremities from the bitter wind. Unfortunately, it wasn't long into the night before he started shivering.

He had been cold before, but he couldn't remember the last time when he was so cold he couldn't even sleep. He tossed and turned, but it was all fruitless. But he swore to himself that he wouldn't wake up the fox; the poor kid already had it so rough, going through one dangerous zone after another. Heck, he nearly drowned in those purplish chemicals just one day earlier.

Why was he following him, anyway? Did he really have no place else to go?

As the shivering hedgehog pondered these questions, he was suddenly overcome by a wave of warmth. The wind seemed to just die with no warning. He opened his eyes just to see if he wasn't dreaming… That's when he realized that he now had a blanket covering him- a blanket made of a fox tail.

Sonic carefully turned around, and there by his side was Tails, snuggling up to him in a deep sleep, with one tail blanketing himself, the other blanketing Sonic. Did he somehow know that his new friend was cold? He must have, otherwise this wouldn't have happened. He paused in wonder at the little fox…

_Wow. I guess there is a good side to having two tails._

It wasn't long afterwards that Sonic at last found sleep, thanks in large part to his new sidekick.


	3. Happy Birthday, Shadow: Shadow & Maria

Happy Birthday, Shadow

A Shadow/Maria friendship drabble

_Tap, tap, tap._

The young blonde girl started tapping away at the glass of the black hedgehog's sleeping chamber, until at last his red eyes blinked open. Confused and alarmed, he growled softly and pulled away from her; but the young girl wasn't the least bit offended.

"Wake up. It's your birthday," she smiled warmly.

His spikes and muscles were still tense, even while she opened the hatch of his sleeping chamber. He kept as far away a distance from her as he could, despite the small living space. For the life of him, he couldn't understand her actions, or her purpose there. All he knew was that she was human, and humans were only known to do one thing: tormenting him with their machines and poisonous injections. …Yet this one was so small and so gentle in appearance- she had to be different somehow.

The young girl then moved back to pick up the white box with pink ribbon wrapped around it, and presented it to Shadow. "Here, this is your birthday present. I designed them myself."

Naturally, the hedgehog was hesitant. He waited until the girl moved closer and opened the box's lid herself. She then tipped the box over so that he could peer inside. Curiously, there was a pair of white shoes with red lining on the soles, and a strange yellow tube just underneath.

"These are rocket-powered skates," the girl explained. "They're supposed to make you go really fast. I made them for you in case you ever get a chance to get out of here."

Ah, so that was her intention all along; it all made sense now to Shadow. He hummed and gave her a small nod, but still crouched in his corner.

"You can try them on any time you like, Shadow."

At first, he said nothing, but as the young girl turned away, he suddenly peeped, "Why?"

"Huh?" she cooed as she turned back to him.

"Why… are you so nice to me?" he asked with a certain meekness in his otherwise deep and gruff voice. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Of you? …Heh, no. Why should I be?"

"Everyone else seems to be… They look at me as some kind of freak, or monster."

The girl then scooted close until she was within arm's reach of him, and extended her hand in an attempt to pat his head. "You're not a monster, Shadow. You're a hedgehog, and a very nice one."

He ducked slightly, unsure if she was going to hit him or even tug at his quills. But to his surprise, her touch was pleasantly soft. At last, his muscles relaxed, and he was content for the first time since he couldn't remember when.

"It's really not right, the way they treat you," frowned the child. "I promise that one day, soon, I'll help you get out of here."

"You… you really mean that?"

"Of course, Shadow. I'm your friend. Never forget that I'm your friend." As her hand continued to stroke the top of his head, he couldn't help but do something even he wouldn't expect: he purred.

Then suddenly, the sound of footsteps in the hallway started to creep up behind the door. The girl gasped, "Oh no, I gotta go!" And with that, she quickly hid Shadow's new shoes behind him before closing his glass chamber again. "I'm so sorry, Shadow, but I can't stay anymore. I'll be back soon though, I promise."

She darted for another door, one that would be a safe escape route, when he called out, "Wait!" She paused and glanced at the caged hedgehog. "…What is your name?"

She gave him a small nod. "Maria. My name is Maria." Then in an instant, she was gone, out the escape door.

The small creature was soon visited by a white-robed doctor, who came in to check on his status. He only stayed for a few seconds, seeing no changes in the hedgehog's physiology, then left him alone in the room. It would be the last time on that day that anyone would visit him.

But at least one person was thoughtful enough to remember his birthday, _and_ give him a present for that matter. Shadow made it a point to remember that girl's name, and to remember that she was indeed his one and true friend.

"Maria….. _Maria_…"

End


	4. Confession: Shadamy

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**Confession**

**A Shadow drabble**

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He thought he was alone… he really should have known better.

The black-furred hedgehog was found in the middle of the woods on that starry night, brooding as always while gazing at the stars. He's already been through so much- losing his only friend, being held in captivity for over fifty years, experimented on during those years, and now in a world that he barely belonged in. But he was willing to put all of that behind him, if only for the sake of one person…

"Bah… why am I still thinking about her?" he grumbled softly to himself. In this refuge of the darkened forest, he felt safe enough to talk to himself, and so he did.

"It's crazy… No, it's stupid! She's just a kid, and I'm… I'm more than half her age. Grr… Why can't she just leave me alone, for once? I can't even walk down a street without her going _'Sonikuu!__Sonikuu,__is__that__you?'_" Heh, Shadow's imitation of Amy Rose's voice was pretty amusing.

"And why does she have to hug my arms so tightly?" he mused still. "That hurts sometimes! …But like I said, she's just a kid. Twelve, I think. Heh… she seems much older than that at times. I have to admit, I admire her courage. But she really ought to know her place by now. She's no warrior…"

Shadow paused as his thoughts ran deeper, into the corners of his mind usually reserved for dreams. He clutched his gloved hands, balling them into fists, as his musings became lighter: "Does he even know how lucky he is? What a jerk, always pushing her away. I mean, if she would just for one time hug me, knowing it's_me_… I wouldn't push her away… Well, maybe I would. But only because I wouldn't want her to get hurt. Hmm…"

He sighed and closed his eyes. "I guess… if Maria were here she'd want me to be more open about my feelings. She always wanted me to be happy… Am I really happy, though? I can't tell. I wouldn't know true happiness if it bit me. But every time I see Amy and think about her, I feel…"

"You like Amy!"

Oh, crap. Not _that_voice!

Shadow, startled as he was, let out a gasp and whirled his head around until he saw that someone was perched up the tree behind him. Sure enough, there was Sonic, glaring down on him in eavesdrop. He was the very last person Shadow had hoped to see.

"That _is_ what you were gonna say, right?" grinned the youthful blue hedgehog before jumping down to the ground.

Angered, and totally embarrassed, Shadow growled at him. "What the hell are you doing out here!"

"I saw you take off, so I followed you." It was a simple and honest enough answer. But then Sonic had the nerve to approach Shadow and give him a gentle nudge with his elbow. "So, Amy huh? You sly dog! I had no idea you had it in you."

"Leave me alone," grimaced Shadow, backing away as his quills bristled.

"Oh come on," insisted Sonic, "you gotta tell me! You do like her, don't you? Don't you! …I knew it. I knew it! Okay big guy, gimmie a hug! Come on, gimmie! This is a once-in-a-lifetime-guy-on-guy-hugging moment, don't pass it up!"

Shadow turned his back on him. "Go bury yourself."

"Look, if you wanna keep it a secret, that's fine," smiled the teen. "I promise I won't tell Amy, so long as I can tell everyone else."

"SAY ONE WORD, AND YOU DIE, FAKER!"

"Sheesh, relax! I was kidding. No seriously, I was kidding! I like living."

"Grrrrr…" Shadow took a few more steps away from the annoyance, but it was no use.

Sonic kept creeping up behind him while saying, "You know, if you're worried about how I feel, lemmie just say I'm totally stoked. I mean yeah, I like Amy, don't get me wrong she's cute. But seriously, I only really like her as a friend- or as a little sister or something."

Shadow's ears twitched in reaction. "…Really?"

"Really."

"…But she obviously likes you."

"Well, can you blame her? I mean, I am a stud. Heh-heh…" Shadow grimaced again, which caused Sonic's tone to soften. "Look, to be perfectly honest, I think she would like you more if you would just warm up to her for a change."

"I'm not a softie, you know that."

"But you are a hedgehog, and hedgehogs are pretty sociable."

"In case you've forgotten, I didn't exactly have the best upbringing."

"Yeah, but look at you now; you're your own man. A hero, even! You just give 'em one wink and the girls will come flying to you. Trust me, I know."

Shadow tried to hide it, but he was blushing at the thought of fan girls. "I… I don't know… I…"

"Don't be shy," Sonic grinned.

"I'm not! …I'm just… thinking."

"You think too much. Look, just let go and bear your feelings. You'll feel better. And I'm not wrong about Amy, she would totally dig you!"

Shadow gulped. "Hmm… I don't know if I can take losing another close friend."

Sonic sighed, "Don't think like that, just live in the now buddy. And right now, you've got a good shot at being happy for the first time in a lifetime. …Maria would have been happy for you."

As much as it pained him deep down, he knew Sonic was right, and so the tension in Shadow's body finally dropped. "…I suppose you're right about that. …But I wouldn't know where to start." Yikes, he couldn't believe he was saying this. And to Sonic, of all people.

"Don't worry, I'll give you a push."

"No, don't do that!" Shadow tensed up again. "Look, Sonic… let me handle this. Alright?"

"Alright," shrugged the blue-furred teen. "Have it your way, loverboy. I'll catch you later."

As the younger hedgehog took off in a blue blur, Shadow sighed in relaxation, convinced he was safely alone once again. But not one second later, the blue came back and in his face. "Can I at least tell Knuckles?"

"NO."

"He won't believe me."

"GO AWAY!"

"Fine." _Zoom._

It was at that moment when Shadow decided to never speak to himself aloud again- at least, not without certainty that he was alone.

**.**

**END**


	5. Green with Envy Part 1: Manic, Scourge

Green With Envy

A "Sonic Underground"/Archie Comics crossover

A Manic vs. Scourge drabble

Part 1

It was a quiet afternoon in the hedgehog residence, as Manic the Hedgehog sat on his comfy red sofa with a bowl of popcorn watching television. On TV was a news report of his famous brother, Sonic, accepting an award of greatness from a human-populated city from miles away. In his humble quietness, Manic watched and chewed away.

…But that peace was about to be shattered, by the presence of an unannounced visitor.

"Pff… Can you believe that guy? What an inconsiderate jerk."

That voice… "Sonic?" Manic peeped as he turned around to follow the voice that crept up from behind the couch.

To Manic's shock, there was indeed a Sonic look-alike standing behind him. Only this one was as green in the fur as he himself was, with a buttoned-down black leather jacket and sporting a pair of sharp-pointed shades.

"…Wh-who are you?" gasped the startled youngster, spilling his popcorn as he jumped up.

The taller, older one smirked. "What's the matter, don't you recognize me?"

"…S-sonic?"

"Ha! You wish. I'm you, stupid! I'm the _Future_ You."

Manic took a step back in disbelief. "No… You're… You're just playing around with me, aren't ya bro?"

"How do you think I broke in here?" replied the tall one coldly. "I know this place like the back of my paw. And how else would I know that you'd be sitting here on your rump, watching your bigger and better brother make the headline news for the umpteenth time?"

Manic paused to think it over. "…Okay, if you're really the Future Me, then how did you get here?"

The tall green hedgehog turned his head smugly. "I just used Chaos Control to bend time and space. …That's right, I too can use the Chaos Emeralds. Betcha didn't think we could, did ya?"

"I can… I mean _you_ can… We can?"

"That's right. All you gotta do is steal 'em from Sonic. You're pretty good at stealing, right?"

The younger green hedgehog scratched his chin. "But… why would I steal from my own bro?"

"Maybe it's because your 'bro' is a no-good traitor?"

Again, Manic gasped in shock. "No way!"

"Look, Past Me, I didn't waste all this time and energy just to make small chit-chat; I came to warn you! At the ceremony tomorrow, your dear and precious bro is gonna sell you out to Robotnik."

Manic's eyes flared. "Okay, now I know you're lying. Sonic would never, _ever_ do that!"

"Of course he would," replied the older hedgehog with gleaming blue eyes. "You may be in total denial now, but deep down you're just burning with jealousy. Sonic's always doing such great things and getting all this attention- it sickens you. And you know what? He knows it. He's so worried that you're gonna steal his spotlight, that he makes you try and steal Robotnik's latest plans of world domination. And you're gonna fail, just as Sonic planned it."

Horrified, Manic covered his ears. "It's… It's not true…"

"Then how do you explain THIS!" With that, the older hedgehog ripped open his jacket, revealing a set of claw scars on his torso. Manic screamed. "This," explained the scarred one, "is what happened when I confronted Sonic about his betrayal. He did this to me- to you! At least that's how it's gonna go down!"

Manic fell to his knees, then cupped his face with his trembling hands. "H-h-h-h… how? …How could this happen?"

Then the scheming scarred one grinned. "It doesn't have to. All you gotta do is see him tonight and when he least expects it, you let 'im have it."

Manic then glanced up at his future self. "…You want me to fight him?"

"It's your one and only shot at getting him when he's vulnerable. If you don't do it, your future will be filled with pain and misery. Trust me, I know; I've already been there."

"…I… I s-still can't believe it." Manic paused, staring back at his equally-green counterpart. Then he stared once again at the scars on the older hedgehog's chest. Could this be real, he wondered, or was it just a horrible dream?

"I know what you're thinking," nodded the older hedgehog; "Is this all real, or just some horrible dream?"

"Gah! What're you a mind-reader too?"

"No, stupid, I'm you! I know you're thoughts because they're my thoughts!"

"Oh… Well… Th-that makes sense, I guess… But wait, I still don't get why Sonic would-"

"Oh, would you wake up already? He clearly hates you, because you're better than him. Yeah sure, he acts all noble and friendly, but deep down he's deathly afraid of someone like you besting him. Why else would he not once mention you or our sister whenever he gets one of these crappy award thingies? Or whenever he gets invited to royal palaces or big parties, why doesn't he ever invite us?"

"I… Well he does… In letters."

"Oh, letters. How thoughtful."

"I usually turn them down 'cause… Well, the hero thing's just… I'm not cut out for it."

"Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that, Past Me. Keep living in denial, right up until he spin-dashes across your chest."

"Dah!" Manic jumped back, now inching into a corner. He felt trapped now, as his future self kept leaning in and stepping closer, with those burning blue eyes and sharp fanged teeth. …Was he really like this deep down inside?

"It's okay to be scared," purred the older hedgehog. "I was scared too- Heh, well you of course know why. But I got over that pretty quickly; I managed to toughen up and oust Sonic for the coward he truly is. Of course,_ I_ took my time with it; _you_, my younger self, can do it much sooner. You just have to tighten up that gut of yours, and start acting like a real man."

Manic gulped. "But… But I can't… I still care about him."

Then the older hedgehog pulled his shades over those blue eyes of his, and scowled. "…Fine. I just had to come back here and give it a shot. I guess you're not ready to face the future yet…" As he turned to start walking toward the back door, he added with a softened voice, "But never forget, Past Me: he will betray you. And soon."

After the older hedgehog left, the house fell silent again. Manic stayed in his corner, shivering with grief and fear, while still very puzzled and confused over what had just happened…

**RING!**

The phone ring made Manic almost jump out his lime-green fur; "YAH!" Curious, he picked up the phone. "…He-hello?"

"_Yo, bro!"_ came Sonic's voice on the other end. _"Did ya hear the news? I'm getting the key to Harbor City tomorrow."_

"…uh… Y-yeah, yeah. That's great, Sonic."

"_Listen, I know it's not your thing, but I really want you and Sonya to be there. We can make it a big family thing."_

Manic gulped as his eyes bulged; it was happening just as his future self had said! "…R-r-really? You- you want me to come with?"

"_Hyeah, of course I do! You're my bro, aren't you bro?"_

"…Uh-huh…"

"_Great, I'll see you there then. Later!" Click._

Manic took a huge gulp in worry, and couldn't help but start to gently rub his chest, imagining the scars of the near future…

Elsewhere, Scourge the Hedgehog was walking down the street with his ever self-loving grin. "That," he purred to himself, "was almost_ too_ easy. Heh-heh-heh…"

To Be Continued


	6. Green With Envy Part 2: Manic, Scourge

Green With Envy

A "Sonic Underground"/Archie Comics crossover

A Manic vs. Scourge drabble

Part 2

Harbor City was by no means as grand as Metropolis Zone, but still very much a metropolis unto itself, occupied almost entirely by humans. Neither Manic nor Sonia were used to being around so many of Robotnik's kind, but they were quick to learn that these city dwellers were almost as crazy about their blue brother as any woodlander would be. It seemed that Sonic had done as much a favor to them as he did his fellow furry critters. But not even their warm welcome to the city was enough to ease young Manic's nerves.

Standing atop a podium in front of City Hall, surrounded by adoring fans, Sonic took center stage while his siblings sat just a few feet behind him. Judging by the humans' cheering, it seemed as though Manic and Sonia were invisible to them. Even so, Manic trembled in his chair.

"Manic?" peeped his slightly older, red-violet colored sister. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," he forced a smile to Sonia. "I'm just not used to such a big crowd, ya know?"

Sonia giggled, "We're still going on tour with the band, aren't we?"

"That's different," he dared to argue; "I'm comfortable behind the drums, not up front with the microphone."

Sonia hummed, seemingly convinced of his lie but deep down was still doubtful.

In truth, Manic was haunted by what his "Future Self" (Scourge the Hedgehog in truth) had said to him, that on this day, Sonic would betray and scar him for life. So far, everything was going according to Scourge's prophesy: Sonic has invited both he and Sonia to his latest award ceremony, and very soon he would ask them to partake in his next adventure. Manic sat there with bated breath for the moment when Sonic would turn to him and say-

"Yo, sibs!" exclaimed the excited blue hedgehog as he suddenly zipped into the scene. Startled, Manic fell backward in his chair. "…Um… Manic?"

"I'm okay," replied the downed hedgie.

"Glad you guys could make it," Sonic smiled, as a nervous sweat bead caressed the side of his head.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," replied Sonia happily, as she right-sided Manic, chair and all. "Isn't that right, Manic?"

Manic forced another big-toothed smile and gave a thumbs up in reply.

"Coolness," nodded a relaxed Sonic. "So do you guys wanna be introduced before or after they give me the city key?"

"Aw, you don't have to do that," replied Sonia humbly. "This is your day, not ours."

"Well I don't get to hang out with you guys that much, and I kinda feel bad about it."

"It's cool bro, you got your hero thing and we got our rock band. Right, Manic?"

Again, Manic gave them that stupidly big smile and thumbs up.

Now even Sonic was becoming concerned; "Manic, you alright? You look nervous."

"I'm not nervous. I'm proud of you. This is your big day, not mine. Yeah."

"…Look, I'd ask you to come along with me on an adventure, but I'm always afraid of something bad happening to you."

As Sonic said those kind words, something in Manic's head snapped. "You… You want me to… come along?"

"I'd let you, if you're up to it and I know you'd be safe."

Manic's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "So… You would want me to go up against Robotnik, wouldn't you?"

Something about Manic's dark tone made Sonic's quills tingle, and not in a good way. "Dude, you're not listening. I don't really want you to do it unless…"

"Unless I was as brave or as tough as you, right? Is that why you always team up with that fox kid, who's _half_ my age?"

"What does Tails have to do with this?"

"I heard you've accepted him as your little brother."

"Well, he has nobody else and… Manic, do you think I love Tails more than you? Is that why you're acting all weird on me?"

"Just tell me the truth, Sonic: Are you really as busy with saving the world, or are you just avoiding your real family?"

"Manic, stop it!" growled Sonia. "You're not making any sense."

"He's ashamed of us, Sonia, because we're not willing to go risk our necks just so we can get city keys and countless fangirls- or boys in your case."

Now Sonic was growing angry. "I never did this for the fame, I've done it for _you_. For everyone, because we deserve a future without Robotnik or any other villain that wants to destroy our peace and happiness."

"Wow, bro, that really sounded rehearsed." Manic was now balling his fists as if preparing to fight.

"Manic, seriously. When have I ever treated you badly?"

"How about the fact that you don't visit us around holidays anymore? How 'bout all those times you made acceptance speeches and never once mentioned me n' Sonia? How 'bout the fact that you'd rather hang out with time travelers and two-tailed foxes and big-knuckled echidnas than your own flesh and blood?"

Sonic felt cornered, and he still had no idea why, so he paused before making a slightly desperate response: "If it bothers you that much, then maybe it's time you did come along on an adventure."

"A-HA! I KNEW IT! I knew you'd say that, you back-stabbing traitor!"

Both Sonic and Sonia were thrown back by Manic's manic yell. "W-…wha?" Sonic sputtered in shock.

Manic growled, "I know what you're planning, 'bro.' This was all just a setup to get me to run head first into a trap by Robotnik. You want him to catch and roboticize me so you can get rid of me once and for all. Well guess what! I'm not as stupid as you think I am, Sonic! And you know what else? I think it's time I finally put you in your place."

"Manic," gasped Sonia, "You totally lost it now!"

"Sonia," he replied, "run, get as far away from him as you can, before he hurts you too."

"You've lost your mind."

"Don't worry Sonia, I can handle this," assured her older brother as he approached Manic.

"Don't come near me," warned the younger hedgehog, fists trembling. "Not unless you want a glorified butt-whoopin'."

"Manic," said Sonic softly, "You know me better than anybody. You know I would never, ever, put you and your sister's lives in danger. This is why I keep such a distance from you two, so that my enemies don't know about you and come after you. Don't you see now, bro?"

"Liar," hissed Manic, preparing to charge.

"I only invited you two out here 'cause I've felt bad about the long-distance relationship. I want you two to know that no matter what, you're still in my heart."

"Lies!"

"You're not listening to me, little brother."

"I'm not your little brother anymore! I'm tough enough to take you on, and that scares you! …Let's finish it right now." With that, Manic pulled back on his red jacket, so that his chest was fully exposed. "Go on, Sonic. Do it."

"Do what?"

"Do your spin-dash and tear up my chest. That's what you really wanna do."

"What?" gasped both Sonic and Sonia.

"DO IT!" roared a frantic Manic.

"…Scratches on your chest?..." Then a lightning bolt flew through Sonic's head as he now realized the connection with Manic's words to someone else he knew all too well. "…..Scourge."

"If you won't do it, then I'll hit you first!" declared Manic, and with that he ducked down and spun his green body as quickly as he could in an attempt to spin-dash.

"No, Manic! Don't do it!" screamed Sonia in horror.

But it was too late, he took off in a mad green dash toward Sonic. But the slightly older hedgehog was too fast, and dodged the attack in the blink of an eye. He wasn't going to run forever though, he waited for Manic to stop spinning before he grabbed his arm.

Manic roared and tried to kick Sonic's side, but Sonic blocked the kick with his few hand. Then the younger sibling desperately sank his teeth into Sonic's paw; "Augh!" screamed the blue brother, letting go.

Manic then swept his leg under Sonic's, knocking him to the floor. He then proceeded to wrap his arms around Sonic's neck in a sleeper hold. That's when Sonia bravely intervenes.

"Manic, stop it!" she pleaded as she tried to pull him away.

"Stay out of this, sis!" he growled as he pushed her back. But now his grip on Sonic was loosed, and Sonic freed himself by head-butting Manic.

Now grounded and pinned by his brother's left shoe, Manic started to really freak out. "I know what you're going to do!" he panted in fear. "You're gonna scar me for life. I know because my Future Self said so."

"Your Future Self?" asked an intrigued Sonic.

"Yes… He came to me yesterday. He told me all your plans and how you hate me… And now I see that it's true."

"What you see isn't always what you get," replied Sonic wisely, as he lifted his foot from Manic's chest. He then grabbed Manic's arm and gently helped him to his feet. He waited until Manic stopped shivering while still caught in Sonic's embrace.

"Come on, you two. I think I know exactly what's going on here."

"Where are we going?" asked Sonia curiously.

"To a place called No Zone. We're gonna straighten this out once and for all." With that, Sonic took Sonia's arm and Manic's arm, and the three of them took off in a mad dash.

To Be Concluded


	7. Green With Envy Part 3: Manic, Scourge

Green With Envy

A "Sonic Underground"/Archie Comics crossover

A Manic vs. Scourge drabble

Part 3

After learning a little too late that his evil alter-ego had escaped the No Zone prison, Sonic figured that the best place to look for Scourge would be at the one place he had targeted for his latest scheme: the award ceremony. Sonic and his siblings talked it over, and before long they were back at the podium at Harbor City, setting a trap.

It was noontime, and the street was crowded with dozens, maybe hundreds, of unsuspecting humans and woodlanders who came to see their beloved blue hero accept the key to the city. The three hedgehog siblings took the stage along with the city mayor, and the cameras all started rolling. How could Scourge possibly resist?

"Sonic the Hedgehog," gleamed the proud mayor with his giant key trophy, "on behalf of the people of Harbor City, we'd like to present to you our most esteemed award for your brave and selfless deeds against our enemy, Dr. Ivo Robotnik."

Sonic bowed his head in acceptance and took up the key, much to the joy of his applauding fans. That key was the signal to start the real show.

Manic, who was still a little skeptical of what his brother was plotting, stepped forward to say his scripted lines: "Not so fast, you great big faker!"

Acting stunned, Sonic turned to him with a gasp. "What did you say, Manic?"

"You heard me! You can't accept that award, because you're a big phony."

"Oh! Is that so?" Sonic's ears folded back in pretend anger. "What, you suddenly think you're better than me?"

"I always have been, it's just that everybody likes you for your super speed. What they don't know is that you run away more often than you stand and fight!"

As their bickering went on, the audience became nervous and wary. Some of Sonic's closest friends were among the spectators, and even they had no idea what was going on. But just as Sonic had hoped, another set of eyes were gazing at the drama unfolding, only these eyes were all too joyful.

"You're just jealous of me," grinned Sonic, elbowing Manic gently. "Look at you, you're green with envy."

"I'm not jealous, I happen to be tougher and smarter than you!" Manic shoved him back.

"Once a kid brother, always a kid brother." Sonic nudged him again.

"Faker." Nudge.

"Gutless wimp." Push.

"Phony." Bigger push.

"Loser." Shove.

"Jerk!" Manic shoved Sonic so hard that time that he knocked the older sibling to the ground.

"Oof!" Sonic whimpered, then looked up at Manic with true shock. "Dude, Manic relax- it's just for show," he then whispered.

"Oops, sorry," Manic whispered back with drooped ears.

Sonic jumped back to his feet and declared, "I suppose this means war, little brother!"

"Yeah, you're on! Come on, I can take you." Manic balled his fists, as he did earlier, only this time his stance was far more loose and melodramatic.

"Hee-hee," giggle Sonic softly, "you look silly."

Meanwhile, Sonia seemed to be in her own little world, always looking upward. In reality, she was their lookout, scanning the crowd and nearby buildings for any signs of a tall green hedgehog. Sure enough, her violet eyes picked up the image of a figure standing atop City Hall itself. It was moving erratically, as if it were a drunk dancing on the roof. To prove her suspicions, Sonic suddenly jumped down to the crowd to grab a pair of binoculars from an unsuspecting red echidna.

"Hey, give those back!" barked Knuckles.

Not listening to him, Sonic jumped back onto the podium and used them to catch a clear sign of Scourge the Hedgehog, laughing uncontrollably at his master plan. So overzealous was he, that he looked as though he would lose his balance on the roof at any given moment.

"Sonic, the rooftop!" she shouted, pointing up at the building.

That was all he needed to look up and glance up at his evil anti-self. "….SCOURGE!" roared Sonic, taking off in a blue, lightning-fast blur.

All eyes lifted toward the rooftop of City Hall; in an instant, two blurs- one blue, one bright green- were dancing around the building with twists, sharp turns and loop-de-loops. This was Sonic and Scourge, coming to kicks and blows at the speed of sound, one counter-hitting the other. All on-lookers gasped and stared in awe, none more so than Manic. But in just a few seconds, both gusts of wind came crashing down, onto the podium, in a great crash.

A puff of smoke rose and cleared, revealing Sonic standing behind a defeated and knee-bent Scourge, his hands tightly gripped onto the green hedgehog's arms. Sonic then grabbed Scourge's head quills with one hand and jerked his head up, forcing him to face Sonic's younger brother.

It was in that brief instance when Manic came to a stunning realization: his "future self" had clean, uncut ears, while his own left ear had piercings. There was just no way that could have been possible... unless...

"Tell him who you really are," growled the blue one to his captive. "…Tell him!"

"Okay… o-kay," grunted Scourge, his sunglass lenses shattered along with his pride. He then eyeballed Manic and said, "I… I'm not your future self. My name is Scourge; I'm an evil counterpart of your brother Sonic."

"Evil counterpart?" Manic muttered, still in shock.

"Yes," admitted Scourge. "I'm from an alternate dimension where everything is backwards- up is down, right is wrong, you get the idea…"

Shaken but now convinced, Manic approached him. "Why did you lie to me?"

Scourge grinned, bearing his fangs. "Heh-heh-heh… Come on, even guys like me are allowed to have a little fun."

"Turning brothers against each other is your idea of fun?" replied a furious Sonic.

"Hey, you're lucky to even have a brother," hissed Scourge. "I have nobody… All my friends betrayed me and left me with nothing! Even Fiona… the one girl I really cared about… she left me. So what else is there for me to do?"

"So, because you're so miserable, you think it's only fair to make everyone else miserable," said Sonia coldly. "…That's just sick, dude."

"Why me?" Manic had to ask. "Why was I your pawn?"

Scourge couldn't help but bust out laughing. "Bwa-hahahahahaha! Are you serious? Who wouldn't pick you? You're just so damn easy, you're like as easy to read as a kindergarten book with pretty little pictures! HAhahahaha-AAAAAUGH! AAUUGH!" Scourge's laughs turned quickly to cries of pain, as Sonic twisted his arm, nearly breaking it.

Manic's eyes beamed with fury and disgust before he turned away. "Get him out of my sight." Sonic was obliged to pull Scourge away, but then Manic said, "Wait! …One more thing." He bravely approached the beaten green hedgehog, paused for a moment… then-

**POW!**

Scourge's head reeled so quickly by Manic's punched that it almost could have rolled right off his shoulders. He then drooped downward, unconscious.

"…That's my little bro," smiled a proud Sonic, before police carried Scourge off the podium, and ultimately to jail.

As Sonia and Sonic embraced Manic warmly, the crowd jumped up with a loud roar of applause. But none of those cheers would reach their ears. That moment belonged only to them, the three hedgehog siblings, who were now closer than ever.

"Sonic," muttered Manic humbly, "I'm so sorry I accused you of-"

"Dude, it's all forgotten," smiled Sonic. "I'm just glad that everything worked out… But you know what? I now realize that I should be more open to you guys about my enemies. I don't ever want them to mess with you again."

"They won't," promised Sonia. "We'll be all the wiser next time."

And so, the rest of the ceremony went off without a hitch, with the key of Harbor City to be placed in the home shared by all three hedgehogs.

And in the very end, the only hedgehog that was truly green with envy was Scourge. All of that planning and scheming for nothing, the only thing to carry from that day being a black eye and a wounded spirit. He was still very much alone.

…Oh well. There would always be next time.

End


	8. Motivational Speaker: Sonic

Motivational Speaker

A Sonic drabble

The angry mob would not be contained a minute longer; time was of the essence, as Robotnik's lair was finally theirs for the taking. He had been missing for nearly three days, possibly working on his Death Egg again. But no matter; with him out of the picture, his metallic palace in the heart of Metropolis Zone was a sitting target. It was the perfect opportunity for Sonic and his closest friends and allies to hit "Eggman" where it hurt most.

They all gathered outside of Sonic's house, waiting for their fearless leader to come out and lead the charge. There were torches, pitchforks, swords, spears, guns in Shadow's case and in Big the Cat's case, a fishing rod. They started stomping their feet and clapping their hands, chanting in feverish enthusiasm.

…And where was Sonic during this? In his basement, on his computer, downloading all of the most famous war speeches in known history. This was his night to truly shine as a leader, and so what he felt he needed more than anything else was the perfect speech. There were so many to choose from, it was starting to agitate him. But as his cheering crowd grew louder by the minute, he knew that time was a-wasting. He quickly printed out his top five favorite speeches, and off to the front door he zoomed.

The crowd cheered loudly as Sonic finally emerged from his den. Tried as he could to calm them down, it would take about ten minutes before the scene fell silent. At last came the moment: What would be his defining speech?

"Friends. Mobians. Countrymen, lend me your ears. I've come to bury Egghead, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones. So let it be with Caesar- I mean Eggman!"

There was a long pause, and a cough.

Sonic looked up from his piece of paper and frowned, "What, no good?"

"Sounds like a poem," complained Shadow nearby. "How about something a little more modern?"

"Well, just try this next one." Sonic then read from his list the second speech: "Cry 'Havoc!' And let slip the dogs of war!"

Again, the puzzled crowd turned their heads to each other. "Any dog-folks here?" "No, no dogs." "I'm a wolf, does that count?" "Who's Havoc, and why is he crying?" came many voices.

Sonic palmed his face; "Eh boy," he grumbled. He then read Speech Number 3: "Mobians! Tonight, we dine in hell!"

"Yay!" cheered Tails. "We're going to Burger King!"

Knuckles promptly punched the fox across the face, knocking him out temporarily.

"Oh, come on!" cried out Sonic. "Don't you guys know any of this stuff? Where's your sense of culture?"

"Can I make a suggestion?" requested Vector, raising his hand.

"Sure?"

"How about 'Let's go kick some ass?'"

Sonic narrowed his eyes in discontent, while other Mobians cheered with the crocodile. He then turned to the fourth of his speeches: "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country."

All eyes bulged and all jaws dropped in horror. "….Who said we were all gonna die?" asked a meek Amy.

"We're gonna die?" gasped Big the Cat, setting everyone else off in panic.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" replied Sonic frantically; "it's just an old saying! We're not gonna die! Uuugh," feeling defeated, Sonic tilted his head upward with pinned eyes. This was not going well.

Finally, it was time for Speech Number 5. Perhaps this one would be the one to send his friends on the right track: "The war is inevitable—and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come."

Finally, there was peace and quiet among the crowd.

Sonic went on: " It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace—but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me…"

Realizing that it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, Sonic lifted his eyes from the paper and saw that his warrior were all falling asleep! Perhaps they found this speech too boring.

"Aw hell," he softly growled as he crumbled up his paper and tossed it away. "LET'S GO KICK SOME ASS!"

"YAAAAAAH!" responded the enthusiastic crowd. Even Tails, who was previously punched out, came back to life and cheered.

Finally, a motivational speech that worked for them. Sonic wasn't all too pleased with it, but hey- whatever worked, he supposed.

End


	9. Leap of Faith: Knuckles

Leap of Faith

A Knuckles drabble

From _"Sonic 3 (& Knuckles)"_

Those two trespassers again… They were really starting to get on his nerves.

It was bad enough that they landed onto the island unannounced, and sporting the stolen Chaos Emeralds to boot, but now they had just burned down the main forest of Angel Island! (At least, that's what the funny-looking man told him, though he couldn't prove it.) But there they were, the blue hedgehog and two-tailed fox, running through the landscape and toward the waterfall he now stood across from. Perhaps now was as good a time as ever for Knuckles to put these two in their place.

Knuckles was on a cliff on the other side of a wooden bridge, just waiting for the two rascals to arrive on the opposite side. When they did, Sonic and Tails paused to stare up at him, still unsure of the red echidna. There was no time to waste; he had to get them **now**!

At his feet was a button that would trigger an explosion of the bridge, and he stomped on it before the hedgehog and fox could realize that they had just ran into a trap. In one fell swoop, the bridge gave out, and they screamed frantically as they fell downward. The young fox made a quick escape by spinning his propeller-like tails to hover back onto the safe edge of the cliff opposite Knuckles. Sonic, however, wasn't so lucky. He managed to grab ahold of the remaining rope that dangled from Tail's cliff, but now he was suspended in the air and slipping quickly.

"Sonic!" cried out his young friend. "Hang on, I'll save-"

But just then, the rope snapped and the hedgehog went plummeting down the waterfall. Tails could only watch and scream in horror.

Meanwhile, Knuckles watched his plot unfold with very little sympathy for the hedgehog. He had it coming, after all; this was retribution for the damage he had already done to the echidna's sacred homeland. …Now his eyes turned to the hapless fox, who stared back at him with bright blue eyes.

"_If he's smart, he'll accept defeat and fly away,"_ guessed Knuckles in his mind. But the echidna had no idea that these two weren't just co-conspirators; no, their relationship ran much deeper than that.

Tails jumped.

"No!" gasped the echidna in surprise. He ran to the very edge of the cliff, almost wanting to catch the small fox, but all he could do was watch Tails dive into the pit of water which would ultimately lead to Hydrocity.

…Did that kid just commit suicide? Knuckles was just stunned. But then he realized that this would not be the end of his new enemies. Perhaps the kid's flight would be their saving grace after all.

…Still, he couldn't help but wonder, after witnessing such a selfless act of bravery from one so small and seemingly innocent.

"…_Perhaps there's more to these two than I thought."_

End


	10. I Am Spartacus: Sonic Crossover

I Am Spartacus

A Sonic Crossover drabble

The spiny blue hedgehog had the strangest dream that night.

He found himself in an all-white room filled with warm light. At first, he thought he had died; he was scared initially, but was soon overcome with a sense of peace. Perhaps this place wasn't so bad after all. Perhaps there was even a way back to his life and friends…

_Zip!_ In rushed a smaller, pudgier version of himself, with dark eyes instead of green. "Yo!" chirped the other Sonic. "Which was to Knothole Village from here?"

Confused, the taller, thinner, green-eyes Sonic blinked. "…Who are you?"

"Don't you know me? I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Uh… I thought_ I_ was Sonic the Hedgehog."

"No you're not!" replied the smaller version. "You're way too big, and too skinny! And you have green eyes."

"I always had green eyes… And why do you sound so much like a nerd?"

Jaleel White's voice came through the small Sonic; "I'm not a nerd, I'm way past coo'! What about you? You sound like an older version of me."

Taller Sonic replied with the voice of Roger Craig Smith, "I'm fifteen. How old are you, twelve?"

Then suddenly- "Gang way!" hollered another Sonic, this one voiced by Ryan Drummond. He zoomed past the two arguing Sonics before zipping back to stare at them in wonder. "…Holy SEGA! There's three of me!"

"Who are you?" asked the first two Sonics.

The third replied, "I'm 'Next-Gen' Sonic. Where did you two come from?"

"Uh… Mobius?" replied a now very uncomfortable first Sonic.

"Nuh-uh," shook Next-Gen's head. "_I'm _from Mobius! You guys must be fakers."

"Am not!" shouted the other two Sonics.

"Are too!" shouted yet another Sonic, this one coming straight from the Fleetway comic. "Everybody knows that I'm the real Sonic. I was born brown, turned blue through a sonic boom, got my shoes from Robotnik, and caused him to turn evil! …By accident. …Sorta."

"Okay," nodded the Archie/SatAM Sonic. "If you're the real Sonic, then who's that guy over there?"

All heads turned to the Jason Griffith voiced Sonic of "Sonic X." He had been keeping to himself all along, lying on his back with his legs crossed and nearly falling asleep. His eyes then fluttered open and he peeped, "Oh, come on, I'm not the faker here. Look at that guy over there, he's been giving us the finger!"

They all then turned to face OVA Sonic, giving them a rather impish smile. "STRANGE, isn't it?" he blurted out.

The first Sonic felt dizzy and nearly collapsed from shock as he palmed his forehead and groaned. "…This is way too much."

"Nah, I think it's pretty coo'," smiled Archie/SatAM Sonic. "I mean, think about it: we're all kinda handsome, and fast, and heroic. What's not to like?"

"And by handsome, I believe you're referring to me." The same Jaleel White voice came from yet another version of Sonic; this one sporting a medallion shaped like a double guitar.

"Hey, you sound familiar," he said to the newcomer. "Are you another me?"

"Yep, and I'm royalty too."

"Well, excuse me your highness! But hey, I hook up with a princess, so does that make me royalty too?"

"You hooked up with Elise!" gasped Next-Gen Sonic. "Dude, she's like… Ugh!"

"…Who's_ that_ faker?" asked "Sonic Underground" Sonic to his other cartoon counterpart.

"Okay, okay! I've had enough!" shouted the first Sonic. "You're all fakers! You're weird looking, you sound terrible, and… and… I WAS HERE FIRST!"

Then suddenly, a tap on his shoulder caused him to turn around. He was then face to face with AoStH Sonic, who pointed behind him and said, "Uh actually, I think _he_ was here first."

All eyes then fell upon a very small, 16-bit Sonic, who crossed his arms and tapped his foot as if in disapproval.

All at once, the various Sonics kept shouting at each other, almost coming to blows, claiming, "I'm Sonic! I'm the real Sonic! You're a faker! I'm the one and only Sonic!" Until at last, their loud bickering awoke a completely different entity, causing him to phase into the room.

Shadow the Hedgehog glared furiously at all of the Sonics, as if they had pushed him off the deep end. They fell silent at last, allowing him to proclaim, "YOU'RE _ALL_ SONIC, AND YOU'RE ALL _STUPID_! NOW GOODNIGHT!" With that, he faded away, perhaps by teleportation.

A very long, awkward pause fell onto the room of Sonics. They all glanced each other, exchanging confused expressions, before they all decided that they had one thought process that they could agree on.

In unison, they all pointed to where Shadow once stood. "FAKER!"

End


	11. No Thanks: ShadAmy

No Thanks

A Shadamy drabble

"_**SECRURITY BREACH! ALL SYSTEMS, BE ON ALERT! SECURITY BREACH!"**_

This was not going according to plan… and most embarrassing of all, it was Shadow's plan.

The goal was to break into the lair, steal back the five stolen Chaos Emeralds, and make it back out alive without incident. Sonic led the team of himself, Tails, Knuckles and Amy; their mission was to distract the robots that plagued the facility. Meanwhile, Shadow, Rouge and Omega- knowing the lair's ins and outs- used stealth to move through the secret passageways and air locks. But by now, Robotnik had more than enough break-ins to expect this sort of thing, and now his security was top notch.

Within thirty minutes, the alarms went off. Knuckles and Sonic paused for a moment to blame which one of them was at fault, but would have to save that for later as the enemies closed in. Their team was scattered and split up in their panic, worst of all Amy. Armed only with her giant hammer, she took a mad dash in the wrong direction, toward Robotnik's main lab.

The pink female hedgehog found the room where the Chaos Emerald were hidden, locked in a giant orb waiting to be experimented on. Fortunately, the egg-shaped villain was a no-show; still, Amy was clearly not safe there.

"_**ALL UNITS TO COMPOUND ROOM! ALL UNITS TO COMPOUND ROOM!"**_

"…Oh, great," sighed Amy, now realizing where she was.

Suddenly, four doors flew open, and in swarmed at least a dozen flying robots armed with guns. Bravely, she raised her hammer toward them, but they were un-phased.

**RAT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT!**

The poor girl had little time to think, all she did was swing her hammer around like a propeller to block off the gunfire. She even managed to whack one robot that was closing in on her, and it dropped like a rock. But as more and more robots piled into the room, the situation was getting more hopeless for the pink hedgehog.

Then without warning, another gunshot- **BANG!** Only this one hit a robot square in the face.

Amy looked up toward the ceiling and gasped as her hero dove in with guns blazing. "Shadow!"

The black and red hedgehog had crawled through an air shaft and jumped out just in the nick of time. As he was still falling toward the ground, he fired a barrage of bullets and knocked out five or six robots. Following close behind him was Rouge, ninja-kicking two more robots within the same moment.

Shadow then landed in front of Amy and gasped, "Amy! What the hell're you doing here?"

"I'm sorry. I got lost…" she sputtered, still shaken by her near-death experience. She then glanced up at her bullet-ridden weapon. "I… I think I broke my hammer."

"Shadow, get her out of here! I'll get the emeralds," the bat insisted. (She would soon make her escape in another direction, not to be seen again by her allies for some time.)

He nodded to her, "Fine." Then he turned to the damsel in distress; "Go that way, I'll cover your back."

"Okay," nodded Amy.

Amy ran through the one open door as fast as she could; even for a hedgehog, she wasn't very swift. This irritated Shadow a little, but it gave him a good opportunity to shoot at more robots that were chasing them down through the hallway.

"…Can't you move any faster!" he finally growled at her.

"I'm sorry!" cried out a panicked Amy. "I wish I could run like Sonic, but I'm just-"

"Forget it! Just keep going, and don't look back!" **BANG, BANG, BANG!**

Amy closed her eyes, not wanting to see the violence building up behind her. She didn't see that Shadow's patience had just about run out, and he his last gunshot went to an explosive device that Rouge had planted just beforehand.

**BOOM!**

The explosion set off a chain of fire which would have incinerated Amy for sure, had Shadow not scooped her up and ignited his rocket shoes. She screamed in terror, firstly because she was taken by surprise by Shadow, secondly because she had just realized that the hallway was exploding!

Outside, the rest of the heroes had already made it out of the lair. They waited with baited breath until at last, Shadow and Amy came flying out through a window, followed by a breath of fire and smoke. They gasped in awe at the sight before running to meet them.

Once they landed safely, Shadow and Amy took a moment to breathe in relief. He, the slightly singed hedgehog, was still cradling the female like a baby. Amy finally opened her eyes, and they instantly met his. Their mouths gaped open, both feeling suddenly awkward.

"Uh… I… uh…" blurted out Shadow, trying to explain himself.

He might have been able to say more, but then Sonic's voice cried out, "Amy! Shadow! Are you two alright?"

Hearing the voice of her beloved blue hedgie, Amy joyfully called back, "Sonic!" She then threw herself out of Shadow's arms, much to his jargon, and glomped Sonic. With tears flowing, she cooed, "Oh, Sonic! I was so scared! Thank goodness you're here…"

Sonic, meanwhile, was perplexed as always.

As for Shadow, he stood his ground while smoke was still rising from his singed quills. He took a moment to stare at the young "couple," realizing that he never even once got the thank you he so richly deserved. Instead, he bowed his head in defeat, his saddened eyes half shut.

"…You're welcome."

End


	12. Addiction: Sonic 2

Addiction

A "Sonic 2" drabble

_Has this ever happened to you?_

Casino Night Zone.

Tails was half asleep while still standing up. His ears pinned back in irritation to the ongoing sounds of dings, chimes and that theme music in the background that was now melting into his brain.

Then the chiming would stop.

And then start again.

And then it would stop.

And then start again.

And then it would stop.

And start again…

"Sonic!" screamed the little fox. "This is your seventy-fifth round on the slot machine! We've been here for almost two hours! Can't you give it a rest?"

Sonic, dangling from the slot machine he had been jumping in and out of all this time, looked down at his annoyed little friend. "Just one more round, Tails, one more! I almost got a thousand rings!"

"You said 'One more round' like fifty times already! Enough's enough!"

"You don't understand, I got a streak going here! I can't just ignore my streak!"

"Grr…"

"One more round, I promise."

Tails turned his head in grief.

Sonic jumped back into the slot machine and used himself as a ball to turn the slots. This was it, he knew he'd hit the jackpot this time…

Slot 1: Jackpot…

Slot 2: Jackpot…

Slot 3: Robotnik

"AAAUUUUGH!" The hedgehog cried out in agony as thousands of little needles came shooting at him instead of the chiming rings from before. He then fell flat on his face, much to the satisfaction of a still ticked-off Tails.

The little fox then grabbed him by his stubby little tail and dragged him off, Sonic clawing desperately in failed retreat. "Oh, come on Tails! That was a fluke! I can do it this time! Oh, oh please, buddy! Pal! Friend! Chum! Awww…"

_Kids, addiction is not cool. If you have a gambling problem, talk to your friends and family. They can help you kick the habit, before the habit kicks you._

"…One more round?"

"NO!"

End


	13. Hat Trick: Knuckles

_It's occurred to me that Knuckles' hat in _"Sonic OVA"_ looks exactly like Fang the Sniper's._

_So, it got me thinking…_

Hat Trick

A Knuckles drabble

Set in _"Sonic: OVA/ Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie"_

"Can we please have a moment of silence?"

Knuckles insisted that his two best friends bow their heads in prayer alongside him, as the three of them gathered around a small burial spot on the beach of Angel Island that afternoon.

"Do we have to?" frowned Sonic. "It was just a hat, after all."

The echidna's brow clenched in anger. "It wasn't just a hat, it was a great hat! We were the perfect team."

"You only had it for two days."

"If it wasn't for that dang-blasted lava pit, it'd still be here with us."

"It was_ your_ fault it caught on fire."

"Shuddup, Sonic. This is a very emotional time for me, can't you see that?"

"Sheesh," said the hedgehog, rolling his eyes. "…Where did you get that hat, anyway?"

Knuckles paused with a small cracked grin. "Hmm…"

_**Three Days Earlier…**_

The echidna was polishing up the Master Emerald as it stood perfectly atop its shrine, almost hovering over the solid rock in majesty. When suddenly, the ground shook. Knuckles gasped, as-

**FOOM!**

The floor of the shrine had suddenly caved in, causing the Master Emerald to fall within the abyss! Knuckles could only watch helplessly as his most precious item in the whole world sunk into a pit of darkness.

"Yeeeeee-haw! Ah-hahahahaha!"

Then, as if to add insult to injury, a purplish-blue figure leaped out from the pit, cackling wildly. Landing in front of Knuckles stood the strange creature, half-wolf, half-weasel, wearing a cowboy hat with stars on its belt, which matched the belt around his waist. The hybrid also wore long white and red boots and brown leather gloves. He, Fang the Sniper, struck a proud pose.

"Yee, doggy! Ah gots me a grand ol' prize dis time! Hoo, that gem's gonna make me a rich man, yessiree!" His accent was a blend of Southern and Australian.

Knuckles clenched his mittened hangs in fury as he growled, "What… What have you done? Where's the Master emerald?"

"Dat dere gem's yours, eh might? Well, too bad cause Ah just bagged it by usin' mah pocket bombs."

"You idiot! You just blew it into the center of the Earth!"

"Nonsense, pahtner. I dug me up a tunnelway unda-neath us; she's on her way to mah secret lair right naw, as we speak. Yes, Ah knaw, Ah'm a clever ol' boy. Betcha you'd never think anybody wud be sneaky enough to steal it right unda-neath ya nose, eh boy? Heeheheehehee- Urk!"

Knuckles grabbed the hybrid by the throat. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life, 'pahtner.'" With that, he raised a fist in the air.

"Ah-ah-ah!" warned the wolf/weasel, suddenly pointing his unsheaved gun at Knuckles' torso. The echidna was forced to back off. "Naw let's not be hasty, might. Ah've been known to git a little trigger-happy, if you know wut Ah'm sayin'."

Knuckles growled again. "…You really think you can control that much power? Only an echidna of noble blood can."

"Powa? Who sed anyt'ing about powa? Ha! I jest wanna make me a little munny off it, is all. Whatcha think she's worth, anyway? Ten million? Twenty? Tell you wat, how 'bout we split it thirty-seventy?"

"How 'bout I split your head wide open?"

"Aww, you sound like mah kinda people! It's a shame you ain't on mah side, mighty; you n' me could go places n' see things… Seriously, might, we cood be a team."

"Stop… calling… me… 'might!'"

"Well now, since yer not in a cooperatin' mood, Ah think Ah'll just make mah exit naw. G'daye, sucka! AH-hahahahaha!" The wolf/weasel then made a backflip into the pit, disappearing along with his stolen treasure and leaving behind an echo of his obnoxious laughter.

**Present Day**

"So you went after him?" asked Sonic.

"Of course I did," explained Knuckles. "And when I finally found that sorry loser, I showed him who was boss. And just to get him back for stealing from me, I stole something valuable from him."

"Oh," cooed an intrigued Tails. The kit then glanced down at the small burial mound, where the remainders of the cowboy hat now lay. "So, that's why it was so important to you."

"If it were that important, he wouldn't have let it catch fire."

Knuckles hissed at the cocky hedgehog, "Grrr! You're one to talk about safety first, Mr. 'Let's Go Jump Into Labyrinth Zone Even Though I Can't Swim!'"

"Hey, at least I never ruin my clothes."

"WHAT clothes? You're always naked!"

"Exactly, 'might.'"

"Alright, that's it! You want me to give you a demonstration on how badly I pounded that weasel? Come'ere!" With that, the echidna charged, giving chase to Sonic.

As the two of them dashed to and fro, Tails quietly stood by the hat's burial mound, bowing his head in respect.

"Goodbye, Hat. It was fun while it lasted."

End


	14. Unchained: Sonic vs Love

Unchained

A Sonic drabble

In Amy, he found a constant companion.

In Sara, he found a flirt.

In Blaze, he found kinship.

With Sally, opposites definitely attract.

With Mina, there's someone to run alongside.

In Fiona, he found comfort (for a little while).

With Elise, he found a reason to keep going.

In Shade, he found hope.

He loved all of them,

But not one of them owned him.

Sonic was born to run, and he'll run forever. Even if it meant never settling down. He was fine with that, because nothing mattered more to him than freedom, in its purest form.

Freedom from the grind, from pressure, from everything.

Even from true love.

Much as he loved his admirers,

He would never be tied down.

End


	15. Thank You For The Venom: Sonic, Robotnik

"_Thank you for the venom._

_Did you think it would paralyze?"_

-Shinedown, "Sin With a Grin" lyrics

Thank You for the Venom

A Sonic vs. Robotnik drabble

**-CHOMP!-**

Tails' heart nearly stopped. He had just witnessed Robotnik's latest invention, the Vipernaut, sink its syringe-like fangs into Sonic's shoulder.

It was a giant green-tinted cobra-shaped machine, one with an nearly flawless design, for it was gigantic- the size of a bulldozer and five times longer- with fangs loaded with actual snake venom. Tails was already downed by it, but not because of its fangs but because of the impact of its crushing tail. And now, it had Sonic in its coils. That alone was bad enough, but as soon as Tails heard that "Chomp" of its jaws, followed instantly by Sonic's blood-curdling scream, he knew the worst had happened.

The little fox struggled to get back on his feet, but was clearly winded by the robotic snake's tail-lash at him. He could do no more than reach out in vain, crying with a small voice. "S-s… sonic…!"

With its venomous bite a success, the robot loosened its grip on the hedgehog. Unconscious, he went limp and dropped like a rock onto Green Hill's grassy floor. He looked like a tossed rag doll, much to Tails' horror.

The little fox glanced upward at the machine, whose red eyes turned to face his baby blues. "You… You…" he started to say, shaking with both rage and fear.

"You," responded the voice of Robotnik, coming from within the robot's throat through a walkie-talkie; "…have just failed, you miserable little furball. HAAA-hahahahaha!"

The cowardly Robotnik had been watching the action from his lair, thanks to a system of cameras and phones which he had built inside Vipernaut. After so many defeats at Sonic's hands, he wasn't about to let himself be open to one more humiliating attack. But now, seeing his old foe a mere shadow of his former self, the madman was beginning to wish that he _had_ been there to see it first hand.

"Could it be?" he mused to himself. "Have I actually won this time?"

Back in Green Hill Zone, Tails kept struggling to get up, but Vipernaut was commanded to use its whip-like to lasso the fox and coil him. As Tails was lifted from the ground, he could feel the weight of the machine pushing down on his ribcage. This was the end of him for sure…

"Now, Vipernaut, finish him off!" commanded Robotnik's voice.

As the cobra opened its jaws widely, Tails closed his eyes tightly.

_**WHOOSH!**_

This was just the opportunity Sonic was hoping for, a chance to get this creature when it was at its most vulnerable. All the while, he was playing possum, and only just now, as his body spun like a buzz-saw to cut across the Vipernaut's head, did Tails and Robotnik realize it!

"NO! HOW DID HE-" howled the mad doctor's voice, just before his connection was literally severed from Vipernaut.

The robotic snake's head was cut clean from the center, its jaws falling in different places, even as the speedy hedgehog's buzz-saw spin continued its way down the robot's spine. Within a matter of seconds, the once great robot split in twos, then fours, and then at last it exploded. But just before the bog "Boom," Sonic snatched up Tails and darted for cover.

**BOOM!**

Sonic and Tails ducked behind a trench and waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, Tails caught his breath at last. "Whew…"

Then he looked up, and saw his best friend and hero, alive. "…Sonic?"

Sonic wanted to immediately respond, but instead he cringed in pain, clutching onto his wounded shoulder. "Uck…"

"Oh no, the venom!" gasped Tails.

"It's okay… it's not the venom… It just stings," winced Sonic.

The little fox paused in wonder. "…But, how? I thought that was real cobra venom he used."

"It was," nodded the hedgehog, cracking a sly grin.

"But…?"

"If Egg-head knew me like he thinks he does, he'd know that we hedgehogs are immune to snake venom."

Tails gasped in surprise. "Really? Wow… I never knew that."

"Yeah… It's an old survival adaptation… Ugh," Sonic winced again. "Still, I coulda done without that bite." He then paused to recollect himself, before noticing the look of sheer joy that was filling up in Tails' eyes, accompanied by small tears.

"Tails… Did I really scare you back there?"

The little fox nodded, letting some of the tears fall.

"…I'm so sorry, little buddy. I…"

"It's okay," sniffed Tails, wiping his face clean. "I'm just glad you're alive."

Sonic felt pretty bad about his ruse, but smiled anyway. "…I'm still here, buddy. I'll always be here."

The kit couldn't help himself; he lunged at Sonic to give him a big hug.

"Eek! Watch the shoulder- AUGH!"

"Oops! Sorry!"

Sonic was indeed strong, if not invincible.

End


	16. Instinct: KnuxShade

Instinct

A Knuckles x Shade drabble

Set in _"Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood"_

FACT: As part of their courtship, male echidnas follow closely behind a female when she's in heat. They will follow her for days on end, until she finally stops and chooses a suitable partner.

This was a fact that Knuckles, unfortunately, was not aware of. Being alone for most of his life, no one taught him proper etiquette when it came to being around females. And yet, here she was- a beautiful teenaged echidna with red-orange fur dressed completely in black like a ninja, with violet eyes that matched his dark purple ones. He wanted to think that he was dreaming, but it was all too real.

If only he knew how to be around her without embarrassing himself.

Shade had just sworn allegiance with Knuckles and his friends after having just been betrayed by her clan leader, Grand Imperator Ix. She trusted that ancient echidna with the promise of going back home to the real world, but was now aware of his conquest for total domination. With this revelation, coupled by the fact that she was nearly killed back on Angel Island by Ix himself, Shade was psychologically shaken.

The female Nocturnus led the way through the rocky plains of Kron, trying to keep her composure in spite of recent events. "I know these lands like the back of my paw," she said nonchalantly. "The inhabitants themselves are a bit slow and slow-minded, so they should be easy to take down."

Then she stopped, realizing that someone was so close behind her that he could have easily touched her tail. She whipped back, and saw that it was the shy, red echidna. "Knuckles?"

"Yes?" he peeped.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Why? Is there something wrong?"

"No… It just looks like you're expecting an ambush."

"No, no. Ahem, it's okay. I'm just following you, is all."

"Oh… Alright." Shade marched forward. "…I didn't get a chance to thank you earlier, about saving my life. I do appreciate that."

"No problem."

Again, he was close behind her. She turned around to face him a second time. "Are you sure everything's alright?"

The red male nodded, shaking his dreadlocks to and fro. "Never better!"

Her eyes narrowed; something about his behavior was definitely suspicious. But then she moved on. "…I can't imagine how shocked you were when you first saw me. I mean, I knew you never saw _me_ before, but I understand now that you've been alone for many years. …It's a shame about your clan. Really, I…"

Once more, she turned around and saw that his chest could have brushed against her tail at any given moment. Knuckles clasped his mittens together as he blushed softly. "I… I… don't know why I'm so close behind you. R-really, I…"

Shade cracked a small smile; perhaps she was flattered by this after all. "Hmm. Just promise me you'll behave during battle."

Knuckles grinned a silly grin. "Battle's my middle name."

After Shade resumed her march, Knuckles cussed at himself for being such an idiot. He took a few steps back to make it so that he was no longer stalking the female.

Poor Knuckles; he really didn't know what to do with himself when he was with Shade, or why he was acting so strangely around her.

He was simply following instinct.

End


	17. Thief In The Night: RougeKnuckles

Thief in the Night

A Rouge x Knuckles drabble

Ah, Angel Island. I almost feel at home here. It's secluded, it's bursting with places to explore, and of course, there are plenty of jewels to steal.

But I'm after the big one, of course.

It's late at night, the perfect time for me since I'm nocturnal anyway. Plus, the only other inhabitant on this floating paradise is probably sleeping. Stupid Knucklehead; he really ought to know me better. Oh well.

I swoop in on my black leather wings, letting the wind carry me for a little while until my target is in sight. Then they flap, pushing me forward through the jungle, just over the treetops. I have the Master emerald's shrine in my sights.

I dive bomb stealthily when I'm in range, and land softly on my heels. There it is, the biggest and grandest gem in the known universe, the Master Emerald. And wouldn't you know it? There _he_ is, the biggest numbskull in the world curled up right in front of it: Knuckles.

I try not to laugh; if I did, he might stir. Instead I just give his sleepy face a big smile. He's curled up like a little kitten, using an arm for a pillow. Aww… he looks kinda cute. For an echidna, anyway.

But I must focus; I didn't come here for _him_. I came here for the emerald. I can't help but stare at it, fixated on its sparkling beauty. I can only dream of chipping it up into smaller pieces to wear as rings, a necklace- no, _two_ necklaces, and a crown, and bracelets, and anklets, and maybe toe rings. Oo, those would be nice. And maybe a collar- no, too kinky. Oo, what about earrings? Yes! Of course there would be emerald earrings; and since my ears are so big, I can make at least five pairs of them! Ooh, the rapture of knowing my dreams are just inches away… I reach out for the gem.

…What's this? Strange, but I can't help but think this thing feels somewhat… lighter. I know because I've touched it before, and back then it felt like it could weigh a ton. But now… I flick my finger just to check. Ah… Plastic! It's made entirely of plastic!

"You really think I was gonna just let you have it, Rouge?" mutters Knuckles, still pretending to be asleep.

"Ergh," I growl softly. Truly, I had underestimated him; he wasn't as foolish as I thought. Trying to hide my guilt, I strike a pose. "What? Me? Steal the Master Emerald? Aw, Knux, you really think I'd try something like that again?"

He opens his eyes. "Old habits die hard."

"But you know me, I've turned over a new leaf. I work for the government now."

"I see, so you were just here to investigate."

"Yes, of course."

"What exactly are you investigating? Grand theft?" He definitely looks like he suspects me; I've seen that furrowed brow before.

Coyly I reply, "Aw, Knux, really. I was just checking on you and your precious gems."

"Nobody's stolen them lately, because I've hidden them and replaced them with decoys."

Ah, you clever echidna. "Heh… Well, since we're good friends and I am a government agent, then it wouldn't hurt to tell me where you've hidden them."

Knuckles glares at me with those fierce eyes of his; if they had daggers, I'd be chop-suey by now. "…If you're on assignment, then where's your backup? Surely you didn't come here alone."

"Oh, shadow's around here," I lie. "You just can't see him 'cause it's so dark."

"My night vision's just fine."

"Then he's teleported somewhere."

"He wouldn't go far." He then quickly scans the area from the shrine's top pinnacle. I think this is a good time to make my getaway, but then he turns back around. "Where're you going now?"

Okay, now I'm nervous. "Uh-I-uh… I just got a call from headquarters, they need me back there. LET'S GO, SHADOW, WE'RE GOING BACK TO BASE!"

While acting (well, overacting) my part, Knuckles approaches me with those same distrusting eyes. "…Shadow's not here, and you're not on business."

Damn him! How did he get so smart! Has he been spending more time with Sonic, or perhaps gone off to college without my knowing? I swear, this is not the same echidna I met; this one's far too clever for me… But, then again… I kinda like it.

"Okay, Knux, you got me. I was here to snatch the Master Emerald. What're you gonna do, call the police and turn me in?"

"Maybe I should put you under house arrest."

I bust out laughing for a few seconds before I reply, "Oh, you big tease! …Wait. Were you serious just now?"

"Well, since it would be the only way I can keep an eye on you…"

"Knuckles, you wouldn't dare throw me in a cell."

"Oh, no?"

"First of all, I always find a way out, and second of all, you're just not that kind of guy."

"Hmm. Maybe you're right; maybe what you need is a small time out in Lava Reef."

My heart's starting to pick up speed; is it because of his threats, or because I can't get away from his eyes? "…You wouldn't hurt a lady."

"No ladies around here."

"Okay, buster, let's cut the crap right here and now. Do you wanna fight me?"

"…I dunno. It's really late, and I'm tired… but I am just so sick of your late-night break-ins and thievery, Rouge."

It's time for me to get in his face and show him I'm not the least bit scared. "Well, what're you gonna do about it? Huh, tough guy?" I shove him. "Think you're so macho, do you? Wanna throw me in lava, huh? Wanna hit me? Go ahead, Knucklehead, take your best shot!" I point to my perfect face. "Go on! Get me right here! Hit me! I dare you! Give me your be-"

…

I couldn't tell you how long our lips were locked, but I can tell you that everything inside me had shut down at that moment. All but my heart, that is; it was going at least ninety miles an hour, if not more.

When it's over, I throw my head back and inhale a huge chunk of air. Lightheaded, I nearly faint; I lean on the plastic Master Emerald to catch myself. But Knuckles remains still and calm.

"…you…" I muttered, realizing that this was all part of his plan to get the better of me. "…you jerk."

Not saying anything in reply, he gives out a big yawn and curls back down beside the fake emerald to fall back to sleep.

"…That's it? That's how you're going to leave it?" I spurt out.

"That's it. Goodnight, Rouge." He closes his eyes, and drifts off to sleep.

I'm outraged. Appalled! Mortified! How could he do this to me! ME? I ball my fists and bare my fangs, and want to just stomp my feet and roar.

…Or at least, for a few seconds I do. Then, suddenly, I'm calm again. Perhaps this new Knuckles was right to divert me with a kiss, so that I could forget why I ever came to this awful island. I realize it now, he was waiting for me, waiting to catch me off guard like I've caught him off guard so many times before. This was his revenge.

…Touché, echidna. Touché.

I flap my wings, and off I go, empty-handed for the first time in a long time. But perhaps there is something for me to take out of this experience: wisdom. And perhaps, a little respect, since after all Knuckles did deserve it. I will have to rethink my schemes from now on, hoping that one of them will catch him off guard next time.

Damn that echidna, damn him! ...I went there to steal his gem. But in the end, he was the true thief in the night.

He stole my heart.

End


	18. Bad Dreams: Shadow

Bad Dreams

A Shadow drabble

Set in _"Mario and Sonic at Olympic Games"_

He wasn't normally one to bear his soul to people, but there was just something about that jolly red plumber that got Shadow's attention. The Italian gentleman's good nature was infectious, even to the gloomy anti-social black hedgehog.

And so, during a time when they weren't competing in sport, Shadow and Mario took time out to buy themselves a few beverages from a vender machine. Mario got himself a lemonade, Shadow a cola. Neither one could say how it started, but eventually, their warm chat led to Shadow telling Mario about a very bad dream he had lately…

"So, this Black Doom, right? He comes from some comet and his whole alien race is out to destroy the world."

"Mm-hmm," nodded the listening plumber.

"And they want me to help them, because apparently we have some kind of history together, only I don't know that because I have amnesia."

"Go on-a."

Shadow sat down at a bench by the pool to continue his story, with Mario by his side. "So anyway, I've got to make these big decisions, otherwise I could end up destroying the world. So I ask myself, who should I side with? Do I go rogue, or join Eggman, or Sonic? I just don't— HEY! NICE LIFE JACKET, LOSER!"

"BITE ME, FAKER!" Sonic screamed back before diving into the pool for a practice lap.

"So anyway," smiled Shadow, "I need to get the seven chaos emeralds in order to redeem my lost memories, and-"

"And halfway there, you go, 'Where's that DAMN fourth chaos Emerald," mused Knuckles as he was walking by. "We heard this story a million times already."

"Shuddup," hissed Shadow at the echidna.

"It's-a okay, go on," smiled Mario.

"Okay… So I get all the emeralds, and I get a flashback to Maria. And she told me to do the right thing, blah-blah-blah, but here's where the dream really gets weird. One minute, I choose to save the world, the next I go a-wall and claim to rule the world, but then I do 'Chaos Control' on the black aliens and kill them all anyway! …So yeah, that's the bad dream."

"Hmm. Weird."

"You had any weird dreams, Mario?"

"Well," paused the red plumber. "…Dere was dat one dream where I went-a hiking up-a tall hills, throwing turnips at-a creatures, and den I had to fight a big-a frog-king who burped-a deadly bubbles."

Shadow the Hedgehog was stilled in mid-drink, his eyes beaming with awe. Then he lowered the can of soda, reached out his hand in a friendly shake offer, and concluded, "You win."

End


	19. The Ultimate Team?: Shadow, Luigi

_I was going to allow requests eventually, but I have to say that this first one was a doozy. _

_Storm 337 wanted a Luigi/Shadow friendship fic… Um… okay? …WHY? I dunno._

_This was the best I could come up with, Storm. I hope it's to your liking._

_And for those of you who have requests, I will lay down a few rules. Number 1: Crossovers can only be done in canon games such as Brawl, Olympics, and SEGA Superstars. And perhaps in the Mario Party universe, if SEGA were to contribute._

_Now please enjoy._

-Snodin

The Ultimate Team?

A Shadow and Luigi drabble

**Requested by Storm337**

Set in _"Super Smash Brothers"_ Universe

_Somewhere in the not too distant future, two new icons will make their debut in the world of Smash Brothers… God help us all._

"Alright, let's get a few things straight: I am _not_ a team player, and I_ don't_ like you. But since we're up against two warriors, and- let's face it- you're a bit of a wimp, I'm gonna let you sit this one out. Got it?"

Luigi nodded frantically at Shadow.

This was one of Shadow's first true outings in the SSB series; last time he was here, it was just as a cameo. But now he was more than ready to prove himself as a brawler. There was just one little problem: he had just "unlocked" Luigi.

Now he was standing in front of Luigi's haunted mansion by moonlight, and waiting on the opposite side to take them both down were their arch enemies, Bowser and Dr. Eggman. This was also the mad doctor's first outing as a brawler, and he was now cracking his knuckles with anticipation.

"3… 2… 1… GO!"

Shadow charged, while Luigi crouched down on the corner of the rooftop.

The black hedgehog jumped high, unsheathing his guns and aiming them directly over Eggman's head. "Wuddup, Doc?" **–BANG!-**

Eggman was reeled over the edge, while Koopa King Bowser fired back with a stream of fire breath. Shadow drop-kicked him, but was singed. Bowser came back, thrashing his claws at Shadow, but instead they knocked part of the mansion's roof off.

"Aw, no!" howled Luigi at the sight of the destruction. This_ was_ his home, after all, and now it was ruined. But that was just a mere scratch, compared to what was coming next.

Eggman pulled out from behind his back a giant cannon and fired a laser beam big enough to damage even Bowser. Shadow took the hit, along with the oversized reptile. This angered Bowser, of course, but he was still focused on the black hedgehog.

By then, Shadow had picked up a bonus weapon: the ballista gun. This rod-like rifle shot out dozens of little balls of energy, straight at the oncoming enemies. Only Bowser stopped just in time, but was too late to warn Eggman.

**FOOSH!**

The energy balls all exploded in one great blast; not only did it do damage to Eggman, but it also undid the mansion's left wing.

"Waaah! Mama Mia!" cried out Luigi from a safe distance.

Shadow's ears drooped. "Oops… Heh, my bad."

The Koopa king then charged with his horns out like a rampaging bull, slamming into Shadow's mid section. The two of them exchanged punches and kicks before Bowser's brute force knocked out the beams holding up the mansion's right wing. He did this on purpose, so that Shadow would be buried in the rubble.

Enraged at last, Luigi jumped over Bowser's head, and landed in front of Eggman. The little plumber then let loose a whirlwind of punches… but they all hit Eggman's belly, which only shook slightly on each impact. As Luigi tired, the mad doc was still undamaged, giving him the opportunity to bitch-slap Luigi and send him flying to the other side of the arena.

As Luigi skidded on his back to where Shadow was just rising from the ashes, the hedgehog growled at him. "I told you to stay out of this! Let me finish them off." He jumped back into the fray, leaving Luigi in a dizzy spell.

**CRASH! BANG! WHOOSH!** And a bunch of other sound effects later, Shadow had the two evil bosses on the ropes.

"I liked him better when he was just an assist trophy," grumbled Bowser, lying on his tummy beside a bruised Eggman.

"Enough of this," hissed the mad doctor, scrambling to his feet. "Come on, we can get him by working as a team!" Bowser gave him a huff and a nod.

Shadow was now outnumbered, but stood his ground as the villains bounced back with a perfectly timed double-punch. Shadow did his best to block one hit after another, but the baddies kept switching places between hits, and doing so very swiftly. Eventually, he was forced to the very edge of the stage.

Luigi was worried, and scratched his head in wonder of what to do. That's when he looked straight up, and saw a shiny ball floating in the sky. This was the ultimate prize, and he knew it! It was time to avenge his mansion! He scaled Bowser's shell and used the big brute's head as leverage to jump high in the sky. By the time the others knew what was coming, it was too late.

Luigi's Final Smash was activated, enveloping most of the arena in a lime green orb. Suddenly for his opponents, everything went green and black, with strange hippie music playing and flowers sprouting from atop their heads. It was very euphoric, almost peaceful, but at the same time their damage points were climbing ever higher. Then…

**THWACK! POW! BAM! POP! BOOM!**

Luigi may have appeared to be dancing like a fool, but he was actually gearing up for his attack moves. Kick by kick and punch by punch, he knocked Bowser and Eggman out of the negative space, only to allow them to float back into it, and repeat the cycle.

Shadow stood by in amazement, not realizing that he was in the line of fire. "…Wow. I must admit, I'm really impre-" **–WHACK!-** Flying at high speed was Eggman, whose body collided with Shadow's and the two of them were sent off the arena in a most humiliating defeat.

"GAME! …The winner is… LUIGI!" exclaimed the announcer.

Luigi paused upon the announcer's words, and only then did he realize that he was the last man standing. "…Oh, yeah! Luigi number-a one! Go, Weegie! Go, Weegie!"

As the green plumber danced his silly victory dance, Shadow came crawling back onto the stage, most unpleasantly. "Eergh," he softly moaned. "Somebody… call my lawyer…" Then he collapsed again.

End


	20. Renouncement: Sally

_Don't worry Ghostkid33, your requested drabble is up next!_

_As you read this, you'll notice that there's no mention of Sonic and company. That's because in this universe, they don't exist… Yet._

_I don't normally do alternate universes, but this was an idea I've had that I just can't keep to myself anymore. Besides, it's about time I gave Sally a one-shot; she's my favorite Archie-Sonic character after all. _

_This may be the prologue to a future Sonic fanfic. Please give thoughtful comments (and no Sally-bashing, I beg you!) and help me decide whether or not I should go for it. Thanks._

-Snodin

Renouncement

A Sally drabble

Set in an alternate Archie Universe

"…Sally. …Dearest. …Tell me this is a joke!"

The king sat on his throne alongside his queen, as they looked down on their daughter in her lavish pink gown, her long hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a golden tiara sitting pretty on her head. The courtroom fell silent after Sally said the words that led to her father's reaction.

The princess stood her ground, staring back at her father with her icy blue eyes. "I'm not joking, father. I want to give up my crown and step down as princess."

Then King Maximillian jumped to his feet, outraged. "Have you lost your mind! We are at war! This kingdom needs you now more than ever!"

"Yes, father, I agree. That's why I want to do this."

"Please explain yourself, before my brain explodes from shock."

Sally took a deep breath. "Father… I understand why you'd want me to be kept safe. But I can't just stand idly by while our people get killed, or worse, turned into robotic slaves. I want to be out there, on the battlefield, _with_ them. Don't you see?"

"You haven't the slightest amount of combat training."

"That's where you're wrong; Sir Antoine has been coaching me for months now."

"WHAT!" Maximillian's head turned to the coyote standing on guard in the corner. Antoine could do nothing more than give him a sheepish smile. The king then clenched his fists and grinded his teeth. "Grr… I… Err… Alicia, could you please talk some sense into your daughter?"

The queen was quiet up until this moment; perhaps she was just letting it all sink in before coming up with something to say. And finally, she did: "Sally, you know we all love you, and we want you to follow your heart. …But do listen to your father, just this once. Going into battle would be suicide."

Sally bravely replied, "I'm ready to die for my people."

"You're only sixteen; you're…" Alicia palmed her face and slowly shook her head. "…Sally, please. Let your brother fight the war, at least he's stronger and more experienced."

"Elias and I talked about this," Sally nodded. "He wants me to do what I feel is right, and I know in my heart that I belong out there."

The king then spoke. "We almost lost Elias once already to those robot soldiers. If we were to lose both of you… don't you see what that would do to us? For God's sakes, sweetheart, we're not just speaking as king and queen, we're speaking as your parents."

"Lots of young men and women have said goodbye to their parents before marching off into battle. They're situation is no different than ours."

"Except that when they fall, the kingdom still stands. If _you_ fall-"

"You're speaking to me as king now, yes?" She shot her father a cold glare.

"Don't you DARE talk to me like that, young la-" Maximillian was cut off by Alicia, who grabbed his arm before he could lunge at his rebellious daughter.

"Sally dear," cooed Alicia, "you mustn't judge your father like that. He cares about what happens to our country- to our world- as much as he cares about what happens to you and your brother."

"Mom," Sally replied in a much calmer tone, "I care about the world too. I know what could happen if I die, or if Elias dies. But I also care about what would happen if I just sit back and do nothing. …mom, I have friends out there, lots of them. They're all counting on me to support them. I can't just…" She bowed her head in sorrow, pausing to let her thoughts come together. "…I've already seen so much devastation- I've seen what they've done to my best friend Bunnie. And despite all that, she's still out there fighting the good fight. How could I _not_ be by her side?"

There was a long minute of silence; the princess waited patiently for her parents to reply, but all they could do for a while was stare at each other, perplexed by their daughter's curious decision.

The king then let out a deep sigh. "…If you go through with this, then we'll have no choice but to forfeit all of your titles, privileges, even your inheritance."

"Yes, father."

"Did you hear what I've just said? You'll be **dead **to us, Sally! You, as a princess _and_ as a daughter, will be no more!"

"Max, you don't mean that last part," whispered a worried Alicia.

The king's tone remained cold and unforgiving; "You will be depraved of all your royal assets from here on in. And should you ever have the nerve to show your face in this palace again, you will be seen and treated like a common citizen. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," replied Sally, bowing her head in respect and not once flinching with fear. She knew that this would be her father's reaction, and took it in stride as she usually did with his melodramatic lectures. In fact, she was almost relieved in thinking that this would be the last lecture he would ever give her.

"…And you're content with this?" he added, now noticeably awed by her undeterred manner.

"Yes, father- your majesty."

"…Hmm… So be it then." At that moment, he wasn't sure on whether to have her escorted out, or let her leave on her own. "Meh… You're free to go now, I suppose."

"Wait," gasped Alicia, jumping out of her throne. She ran down the small staircase that led from her throne to the ground level, and threw her arms around her daughter. "…Promise me," she murmured with a trembling voice. "…Promise me you'll return."

Now Sally's tough stature broke; with her mother, she was a completely different person- she was warm and gentle, just as she was brought up to be. Sally's arms grabbed ahold of the queen as she spoke with a certain tremble in her voice. "Mom… I'm sorry, I can't keep that promise… But I_ will_ keep in touch; that you can count on."

Alicia then pulled herself back to glance into her daughter's warm blue eyes. She caressed the princess' cheek and smiled, "You've grown up too quickly, sweetheart. I knew one day you'd become a strong young woman, but… I suppose I was never quite prepared for this day." She then gave her another hug. "…I'm so proud of you, no matter what."

"Thanks, Mom… and I love you."

"I love you too, always."

Sally took a moment to glance up at her father from his throne; the old king turned away, perhaps showing that he was no longer willing to look upon her face for fear of weakness. This disappointed her immensely; of all the times he could have dropped the act and be like a real father to her, now was that time. And he blew it.

The princess then pulled herself away from Alicia, who was already starting to shed tears. "I'll be packing most of my things tonight; Bunnie, Antoine and a few others have agreed to help. …This will be the last time you'll see me as princess."

Alicia sniffled, "Yes… but despite what your father may say, I'll always see and think of you as my daughter."

Sally then bowed her head in respect for the queen. "…Goodbye, mother. Your majesty." Then she turned and walked out of the room.

After she left, Alicia doubled over on the floor and broke into tearful sobs.

That went almost better than Sally had hoped it would. She knew her parents would never have agreed to her decision, but she wasn't one to just up and run away either. Besides, they might have thought she was kidnapped and blamed the wrong person for it. All in all, confronting them was the best choice.

With only a few sacks full of clothes- most of which she'll give away to charity- and some jewelry to pawn for cash later, Sally took off into the night with her closest friends. On that fateful night, she was no longer Princess of the Acorn Kingdom; she was Sally Acorn, Freedom Fighter.

A freedom fighter that now, for the first time in her whole life, was truly _free_.

End…?


	21. Waiting: SoniBlaze

_Sorry this took so long, Ghostkid33; it was a lot trickier than I expected._

_First off, I had to do some research on the _"Sonic Rush"_ games cause I never played them myself. At first I was going to rewrite a scene from one of them, but then I felt that was too predictable. So after two whole days of deep thinking, this is what I came up with. Sorry if it's too short._

_P.S.: I don't mind doing various Sonic character pairings, so long as I'm allowed to make it as canon as possible. I'll even accept yaoi pairings, though they'll only be "fluffy" or comical. In fact, I already got an idea for Sonadow… *evil chuckle*_

-Snodin

Waiting

A Sonic/Blaze drabble

**Requested by Ghostkid33**

Set in _"Sonic Rush" _Universe

He sat there alone on the hill, staring up at the stars.

She sat there alone on the hill, watching the pink and violet sunset.

He was wondering if she was looking up at those same stars.

She was wondering if he was watching the same sunset.

He sighed.

She sighed.

They were both wondering why it was taking so long for their enemies to gather up the Chaos/Sol Emeralds. They had already tried it twice before, and now it seemed like that was an eternity ago. Surely, Dr. Eggman and Eggman Nega were plotting something by now.

And so, on those lonely hilltops, they would wait. And hope. Yes, they would actually hope that their worlds would be in danger once again.

Because that was the only way they could be together.

End


	22. Whose Bra Is Ut Anyway?: Shadow Fandom

_I've gotten a request for Sonuckles and a SonAmy/Shadamy triangle, and both of them are going to be a challenge. So until I decide on a story for each of them, enjoy this next original._

-Snodin

Whose Bra Is It anyway?

A Shadow Fangirl drabble

**Requested by Ghostkid33**

A SEGA/ _"Sonic Underground"_ Crossover

It was right in the middle of the concert when it happened.

Sonic was the front man on guitar, Sonia switching from guitar to keyboard, Manic on drums and special guest Shadow on base. For nearly two hours they had been jamming to various rock songs and game level covers, when suddenly… _plop!_

Sonic paused in amazement at the sight of a rather large, hot-pink bra that had landed by his feet. Apparently a lady in the audience had thrown it in his direction. He was no stranger to fandom, but never before had an incident like this occurred.

His first initial thought was, _"Oh, God… If this belongs to Elise, I'm throwing it back!"_

But then he picked it up, while his sister started to giggle impishly. That's when the blue hedgehog noticed a very small piece of paper sticking to the right cup's inside. "Oh!" he exclaimed out loud. "This is for you, Shadow!"

"Wha?" gasped the bewildered black hedgehog to his right.

Sonic handed him the bra with a fair warning: "It's not for wearing."

"I know that, you idiot," Shadow muttered back with a scowl. As he held it by a strap, he noticed that there was indeed a note inside: "To Shadow, from your biggest fan." And it was signed with a pink heart.

Sonic had now joined in the giggling with his siblings, as Shadow couldn't help but blush fiercely. "Umm… uh… Thank you?" he called out to his audience. He then handed it over to stage manager Knuckles, who carried it off by its one strap as though it were an armed bomb.

So… Whose bra _is_ it anyway?

**Yours?**

End


	23. Natural Born Enemies: Sonic vs Snake

_Based on an actual conversation between Snake and Otakon in the game._

.

"**NATURAL BORN ENEMIES"**

**A Sonic and Solid Snake Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Super Smash Brothers: Brawl"_

.

In a cold, remote warehouse of sorts, two opponents magically appeared to face off in battle. One was Solid Snake, a professional stealth mercenary; the other was a cartoony blue hedgehog by the name of Sonic.

For the first few minutes of the brawl, there were small bouts between spin-dashes and gunfire, hardly any close combat at all. When suddenly, the Codec intercom rang. Sonic paused, as did his rival.

"Hmmm."

"_Snake, what is it?"_ called Otakon, sensing Snake's tension.

"Something about that hedgehog rubs me the wrong way."

"_Oh. You mean Sonic the Hedgehog? But everyone loves Sonic! He's a big star."_

Sonic, meanwhile, taunted Snake with his signature finger waggle.

"_Do you have any idea how excited people are that he's here in Brawl?"_

"Yeeaaah, I know," gruffed Snake. "But there's something about him I just don't like."

Still the hedgehog taunted with a threatening super peel-out; "You're too slow!" he called out.

"_But... why? You must have some kind of reason."_

Snake glanced around for his opponent, but he had suddenly slipped away. Just then, he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He winced, then looked down. There was the hedgehog, giving into his instinct to attack and devour all serpents. But Sonic couldn't eat this Snake; instead all he could do was chew on his leg with a set of sharp fangs, making silly "Om-nom-nom" noises.

Embarassed for himself, Snake decided to keep this from Otakon and sighed.

"…Nope. Just don't like him."

.

**END**


	24. Say What?: Sonic and Tails

_I'm happy to say that though it's no longer a challenge fic, _"Sonic Warriors"_ is back on the site. It'll be in novel format, but some chapters will still play out like video game levels. That's my dedication to the SEGA franchise. ^.^_

_And now that the drama of the last two days is over, let's get back to the drabbles!_

_-Snodin_

**SAY WHAT?**

**A Sonic and Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

It was killing him inside, eating away at his being, as he stared intently at his friend's blue eyes.

He wanted to say it.

He just had to say it.

There was just no way on Mobius he could not say it.

It was just so… perfect! So undeniably perfect!

How could he have gone all this time without saying it?

It boggled his mind!

"Sonic?" squeaked the young fox pilot. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just thinking dude," replied the hedgehog on the biplane's wing.

How long now has Tails been flying this time? And not once were those immortal words said to him?

Ludicrous, Sonic thought to himself.

It was absolutely ludicrous.

Okay, his mind was made up.

He was going to say it.

It needed to be said.

It must be said!

"TAILS, DO A BARREL ROLL!"

With one fierce whirl of the controls, the Tornado rolled in a corkscrew fashion, sending a screaming Sonic flying through the air. Then Tails dive-bombed the plane to catch Sonic before he would crash into the water.

Sonic paused to regain his composure as the Tornado resumed its flight. "…Sonic? Are you okay?"

"Tails," panted Sonic, "next time I want to do a 'Star Fox' parody… stop me."

…..Had to say it.

…He just_ haaaaad_ to say it.

**End**


	25. Old vs New: Sonic and Tails

**OLD vs. NEW**

**A Sonic and Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

"Yeah! Got the star! Awesome…"

Sonic walked into the living room to see his little brother Tails waving his Wii remote around like a baton. "…Whatcha doing there, kiddo?"

"Playing 'Mario Galaxy 2.' I just beat the fourth level."

Sonic walked up to the screen curiously. "…Man. I remember when all we had to do was run to the right and jump. And we needed only two buttons for that."

"Yeah, well, these days you gotta use your whole arm- or even your whole body, so it's good exercise."

"Exercise. Bah! Video games aren't meant to exercise you, they're just there to entertain you."

"Dude, Sonic, you gotta keep up with the times man! Look at these awesome graphics."

"Yeah, they're pretty cool, but in my day we only had eight bits, but it was all we needed."

"What, did you live in caves back then too?"

"No," Sonic made a face. "What we had was strategy and straight-forward storytelling."

"This is pretty straight-forward too, but don't tell me running and jumping counted as strategy!"

"There were obstacles in the way!"

"Same here!"

"…This 3D running around is making me dizzy!"

"You roll into a ball all the time, dude."

"But it's always for one direction!"

Annoyed, Tails lowered his remote. "…Sonic, no offense, but this is the new millennium. If you don't like it, why don't you just go back to 1992?"

"I wish I could! At least back THEN, nobody complained about my games!"

"_Your_ games?"

"Yeah, Mario kicked ass back then! …Wait. We were still talking about Mario just now right?"

Tails glanced away with drooped ears. "Yeah… right…"

**End**


	26. The Final Showdown: Sonic and Knuckles

_This was originally going to be sonadow, but since Shylittlebunny09 requested SonKnux, I decided to replace the black hedgie with the red echidna. Somewhere in fiction limbo, Shadow is thanking me. ^.^_

_-Snodin_

**THE FINAL SHOWDOWN**

**A Sonic and Knuckles Drabble**

**Requested by Shylittlebunny09**

**By Snodin**

They had a score to settle, and they were going to settle it now.

Sonic went first: "You suck."

Knuckles retorted: "YOU suck."

"You're an idiot; you let Eggman trick you over and over again."

"You're an idiot for letting Shadow take your fangirls away."

"Not ALL my fangirls are gone."

"Oh yeah, there's Amy. How's that working out for you. Oh wait, I know, you hate her!"

"Well, at least I have _somebody_ chasing me. Who's chasing you?"

"Plenty; I have my choices between Rouge, Shade and Julie-Su."

"Okay first of all, Rouge is just a flirt. Second of all, those other two aren't recurring characters."

"Well, they could be."

"But they're not."

"You know what, Pinhead? You're jealous because deep down you know I'm better than you!"

"Prove it, Knucklehead."

"Well for one thing, I can SWIM."

"…..Touché."

"And, I can glide and climb up walls!"

"Hyeah, like I really need to do all that just to get through my levels. Besides, I can fly a plane."

"You wouldn't even have a plane if it weren't for Tails- and for that matter, you probably wouldn't even still be here without him! You've been piggy-back-riding him all through Sonics 2 and 3."

"Oh, come on! He was barely playable back then. And so were you, with your short-ass jumps! How many times did you rely on a platform just to get to the bosses?"

"Grrr! …I hate you."

"I hate you!"

"I hate you more than Shadow does."

"I hate YOU more than Eggman does!"

"I hate you more than Mario does!"

"Oh! ….You-you know what? YOU KNOW WHAT!"

"WHAT?"

Sonic unleashed his secret weapon: he pulled Knuckles close to him and pressed his open mouth onto the echidna's unsuspecting lips. The kiss lasted for about ten seconds tops before the hedgehog pulled away. Then he watched as the echidna's head turned blue, then expanded… then finally, it exploded.

**POP!**

Sonic then smiled in victory. He had won this battle.

**End**


	27. Polar Opposites: Amy, Metal Sonic

**POLAR OPPOSITES**

**An Amy Rose and Metal Sonic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

Set in _"Sonic CD"_

"EEK!" shrieked Amy, as a pair of cold metallic hands seized her. "Sonikuu! Sonikuu, help me!""

It all happened so fast that Sonic blinked and she was gone in a flash. But he knew who the culprit was: Metal Sonic. Of course, Robotnik must have sent him to torment him, but that didn't explain why his metal doppelganger kidnapped innocent little Amy.

Perhaps it was just to lure the real Sonic into a trap.

He fell for her the moment he laid eyes on her. She was young, but had a lot of spirit. But above all, she was beautiful- a rosy pink female with spiky hair to match his own, with the cutest little green skirt and bubbly personality.

He couldn't bare to be without her… so could you really blame him?

"Just wait 'till my Sonikuu gets here," warned the little pink hedgehog as she dangled from a chain. "He's gonna make mince meat out of you, you freakish robo-creep!"

Oh, how that voice soothed his ears; it was like a choir of angels singing…

"And would you stop staring at me like that? Seriously, it's freaking me out!"

"**Rvvrr."**

"I don't understand robot."

"**Rvvr?"**

"Don't you know any English, or Japanese?"

He hummed in reply. Perhaps all his little angel really needed was a gift of some sort to make her happy. Perhaps he could give her flowers, or Rings…

But then, he realized she was starting to cry. "Sonikuu…"

"_That's it!"_ he pondered. Perhaps if he were to make Sonic come and see her, she would smile again. Oh, how he did enjoy her smile. He would do anything to see it just once more…

So, it was _Sonic_ she wanted all along. Metal wanted her smile to himself, but as soon as she saw her blue-furred hero arrive to save her, that smile was just for him. Metal shook with jealousy. It was time to challenge that hedgehog once and for all- a race to see which one was faster. And perhaps if he won, then young Amy could see that he deserved her affection, not that flesh-and-blood wannabe…

Time would pass, and one day Sonic would look back on that adventure when his metallic look-alike captured Amy, then challenged him to a race which ultimately damaged Metal. He would remember how young and innocent Amy was back then, and yet even then his feelings for her were only of mere friendship and big brother-like. He could never truly love her… So, why? Why did Metal kidnap her?

It wasn't like it was anything personal.

….Or was it?

**End**


	28. Sonic Warriors Preview: Sonic, Amy

**A "Sonic Warriors" Preview… Sort of**

**Snodin**

…

**They said it couldn't be done… But it's here.**

**They said it wouldn't work… But it's working.**

**They said… Wait, who's "they" and what are we talking about?**

**Anyways, "SONIC WARRIORS" CONTINUES!**

**Watch as your favorite characters from the SEGA-verse team up with the cast of the Archie-verse, when their worlds collide!**

**And coming soon:**

**Team Cloak and Dagger: Antoine D'Coolette, and Julie-Su the Echidna!**

**Team Chaos Controllers: Knuckles the Echidna, and Shadow the Hedgehog!**

**Team Hammer and Nails: Sonic the Hedgehog, and Amy Rose!**

…

"WHAT!" Amy blasted with fury, causing Sonic to jump back in fear. "Hammer and Nails? Hammer and Nails! That's the best name you can come up with!"

**S-sorry, Amy… it's just… Well, you **_**do**_** carry a hammer, and Sonic's spikes are a little bit like nails.**

"Couldn't you come up with a more romantic name, like "Team Lovers United," or "Team Mr. and Mrs. Hedgehog?" Sonic gags in the background.

**Look, Amy, I wish I could come up with a better team name for you n' Sonic. But I can't go with a romantic one.**

"Why not?"

**Well, because… the feelings aren't mutual, you know?**

Amy glares at Sonic, who's tiptoeing away. He then jets off as soon as her furious eyes meet his, and she takes off after him.

***Sigh* I guess I'll have to rethink the team name. I'll need some help. Any suggestions for the Sonic and Amy team?**

"Make it romantic!" cries out Amy while still chasing Sonic.

**Please, no. I just ate.**

**Say your suggestions in a review, or visit my profile for the poll suggestions. Thank you.**


	29. Heart of Stone: LeinDa

_After several Reviews regarding the last Drabble, involving giving "Team Sonic and Amy" a name in _"Sonic Warriors,"_ I have noticed that most of them went with a color theme. _

_I have listened, and now here is my response: Since the majority of you voted for a color theme, I will now announce to the world that Sonic and Amy's team will officially be called…_

_TEAM LAVENDER!_

_It's both a flower, which fits Amy's overall theme, and a shade of purple which is the merging of red/pink and blue._

_Like it? Don't like it? Send me your responses in your reviews._

_Right now, let's get back to the Drabbles with a secret/bonus scene for _"Sonic Warriors," _because hell I need a bit more inspiration for it!_

_And many, MANY thanks to all of you who participated in the question. You know who you are. (Wink)_

"**HEART OF STONE?"**

**A Lein-Da Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in my fanfic,_ "Sonic Warriors"

.

Wicked. Merciless. Terrifying. Cold-Hearted. Bitch.

Lein-Da was called many things, most of which never uttered to her face due to her violent temper. And most of them were absolutely true: she was a domineering, conniving femme fatale- she_ had_ to be, as one of the current leaders of The Dark Legion.

But there was one side to her that many people would never see, and one name she would go by that would shock even the easiest going of Mobians. And that name was…

"Mommy?"

Lein-Da glanced up from her throne, startled by the small voice coming from behind her. She glanced around, then lowered her eyes to find a very small red echidna hatchling with mostly red fur with white tips on his quill-locks. He had to be no older than three, perhaps even two.

"Rutan, darling? What're you doing up so late?" she asked in a soothing voice.

The toddler, dressed in yellow pajamas, crawled up to her legs with bright bulging eyes. "I had a bad dweem."

"Awww," cooed the sympathetic matriarch. She then scooped him up into her gloved hands, which were ice cold due to them being metallic underneath the cloth. "A bad dream? What was it about, love?"

The youngster rubbed his sleepy eyes. "I saw a munster. He was big, and bloo, and spikie like… like… I dunno, he was spikie."

"A spiky blue monster?" echoed Lein-Da in curiosity.

"Uh-huh," nodded the shaky hatchling. "He was big, and he wuz chasing me. I think. I wan, I wemember wunning, but he kept coming close-oo. And then he almost gwabbed me!" Rutan huddled into his mother's chest, shivering.

"There-there, sweetheart. It was just a dream, he's gone now."

"But Mommy, wat if I go back to sweep, and he's back?"

"…Mommy won't let that happen, sweetness." With her one finger, she lifted his chin to look into his eyes. "Mommy's got a big gun, and a bigger army, and we'll hunt down that big ol' monster 'till he's gone for good. So don't you worry anymore."

She then did something that no Mobian- echidna or otherwise- would ever imagine her doing: she hugged the little youngster, as warmly as any mother could. This seemed to calm down Rutan at last, as he sighed softly.

Lein-Da then smiled, "Let's get you back to bed now, shall we? And remember, darling, Mommy's gonna get that big blue monster."

Rutan smiled up at her confidently. "Yay. You tha best, Mommy."

Again, she cuddled him. "Mommy loves her little prince, yes she does."

Together with her handmaid, the queen of the Dark Legion carried Rutan back to his sleeping chamber, tucked him into bed, and kissed him gently on his forehead. He drifted back to sleep, looking much more peaceful than before.

Such was the life for Lein-Da- cold, calculating leader one minute; gentle, caring mother the next. Only two people, perhaps, would know both of her sides, but she was fine with that. In fact, she preferred it that way.

No one could ever suspect or accuse her of having a weak side. No one.

**END**


	30. A True Sonic Fan: Fandom Homage

_It's come to my attention that the Sonic fandom is divided, and really I don't see why, so I've written these rules to test just whether or not someone is a true Sonic fan. If you can follow at least half of these rules, then you're the real deal. If not… Well, at least enjoy this._

"**A TRUE SONIC FAN"**

**A Poem**

**By Snodin**

.

**A TRUE SONIC FAN...**

**…C**onsiders ALL Sonic Universes- SEGA, Fleetway, Archie, OVA, etc.- to be canon.  
**…H**as something positive to say about all of the games, even the ones that were considered poorly done. That includes Sonic '06, which has a KICK-ASS soundtrack.  
**…P**lays Mario once in a while, knowing full well thast the rivalry between Sonic Team and Nintendo is officially over.  
**…H**as played every single Sonic game, and likes to brag about it.  
**…H**as watched the OVA Movie... and LIKED it.  
**…W**rites fanfiction/ Draws fanart.  
**…D**oesn't like to take Sally or Amy's side, because he/she likes them both respectively.  
**…K**nows the Chaos Control chant by heart.

…**S**WEARS ON HIS/HER LIFE that the Tails Doll is out to get them.  
**…M**ay be too young to appreciate the old 16-bit games, but will buy them off Wii's online connection just to experience them for hisself/herself.  
**…H**as and wears at least one Sonic-based T-shirt (myself included, proudly!).  
**…W**ishes that Knuckles would for once, just ONCE, put on that cowboy hat one more time.  
**…I**s slightly... juuuuust sliiiightly... jealous of Princess Elise. Going too far?  
**…K**nows what the hell "Project Chaos" is.  
**…B**uys expensive jewelry, takes out the gemstones and locks them in a special place and claims they have the seven chaos emeralds. ...Okay, THAT'S going too far.  
**…W**ishes that all foxes had two tails.  
**…D**oes not trust any overweight middle-aged man with a long reddish-brown mustache and wearing sunglasses.  
**…E**ats chilli dogs.  
**…W**ishes he/she knew where he/she could buy a real live hedgehog.  
**…H**as read every single Archie comic book issue, including the crossovers, AND the Fleetway comics.  
**…W**hat, did you think I was gonna leave it at 20 in honor of Sonic's upcoming 20th Anniversary? I wouldn't be a fan if I knew about THAT!  
**…W**henever someone else says, "You've got..." you have to respond with one of the following phrases: "A Ring! Another Ring! Fighting gloves- they're yellow! Herpes! Serious issues! A tombstone! The Omachao gun!"  
**…K**nows what the hell I was just talking about.  
**…O**wns at least one Sonic-based plushie... Dammit, now I gotta go out and get one!  
**…H**as uttered, "Where's that DAMN fourth Chaos Emerald?" at some point.  
**…B**elieves that Knuckles is actually smart, despite all the times he's been tricked.  
**…H**as watched all known animated series of Sonic- doesn't have to like them, just has to see them.  
**…B**uys Crush 40 albums.  
**…K**nows who Crush 40 is.  
**…H**as tried at least one time to run as fast as Sonic (only to fail miserably, of course. Nobody's faster than Sonic).  
**…H**as actually researched echidnas.  
**…B**elieves that one day- maybe eons from now, but someday- Sonic will finally put a stop to Eggman.  
**…C**alls Eggman "Dr. Robotnik" every once in a while. Just because.  
**…T**hinks Super Sonic would look even cooler with swirly-red eyes and a psychotic grin.  
**…H**as played the required number of Brawl fights (over 200, I believe) just to unlock Sonic. (Yes, it's easier just to play through Story Mode, but this would be the bigger sign of devotion.)  
**…H**as a thing for spiky hair. (Especially if it's either blue or black with red highlights.)  
**…W**ants to visit the actual Angel Island. And has already packed their bags for the trip.  
**…B**elieves that he or she can make a better Sonic game than the Sonic Team. And hell, you probably could!  
**…H**as already played some version of Sonic 4. ...And LOVES it.  
**…I**s chomping at the bit for the day "Sonic Colors" comes out. Come ON, November!  
**…I**s slightly obsessed with collecting rings.  
**…L**ikes to touch lamp posts. And make a dinging noise while doing so.  
**…H**as made a Sonic video and posted it on YouTube or some other video site.  
**…K**nows that Sonic can't swim... except in "Free Riders," but we'll let that slide.  
**…L**ikes Sonic whether he has green eyes or black ones.  
**…B**elieves that Sonic will be here long after we die.  
**…H**as imagined himself/herself as a Mobian. And drew a picture of it. And showed it to everybody, claiming, "This is ME!" And not feel the least bit embarassed about it.  
**…L**oves ALL of Sonic's assigned voice actors.  
**…H**as followed all of the above to the letter, and really what are you doing here? I think they're looking for you back at the mental institution. Seriously, go! And don't forget to jump through that Warp Ring on your way out!


	31. About Last Night: Sonadow

_Oh my gosh… Over 100 Reviews in just thirty drabbles! I feel so honored._

_Even moreso, since one recent reviewer went by the name "SnodinFan" –I kid you not! This person, whoever he/she is, requested Sonadow, and even though I frown on any OOC or un-canon pairings, who am I to turn down a fan?_

_So this is for you, SnodinFan, whoever or wherever you are. Cheers._

"**ABOUT LAST NIGHT…"**

**A Sonadow Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

**Requested by SnodinFan**

**.**

"Can't we talk about it?"

"For the last time, no."

Sonic sat opposite Shadow at a small breakfast table in the hotel's small dining room, after a wild night of partying with the other heroes. No one else knew about it, but it seemed that Sonic and shadow had more than just a few drinks that night… they apparently passed out together in the alleyway just before the sun came up. Their minds were blank about most of the things they had done, except for that one moment that kept replaying in Sonic's mind. He was just itching to talk about it with Shadow, who wanted nothing more than to have a chocolate-frosted doughnut and be on his way.

"Come on," begged Sonic.

Shadow kept his eyes to the table, staring at his doughnut. "What part of no do you not understand?"

Sonic couldn't help but curl his lips into a sly smile. "If memory serves me well, you didn't say 'no' last night."

Shadow's burning red eyes burned into Sonic's. "I swear on everything holy, Faker, if you say one more thing about _last night_…"

"Ssh, keep your voice down." Sonic's eyes scanned the small dining room to see if there were any spies, but found none. Then he whispered secretly, "It's okay, we don't have to tell anybody that we had too much to drink and passed out in the alley… We don't have to tell them about… the other thing… either."

"Which one?" whispered Shadow. "The time when we sang karaoke on stage, or the time you put a lamp shade over your face, or the time we…"

"…Made out in the janitor closet?"

"GAWD-DAMNIT, FAKER!"

"_Sssshhhh!"_ begged Sonic, glancing away.

Shadow's quills stood on end as he nearly punched a hole through the table, only to realize that three young couples were nearby, trying to enjoy their breakfast. He took deep breaths before calming himself down.

"…Why in Sega's name would you even want to rethink that moment?" he whispered to Sonic.

Sonic whispered back, "Well, to tell you the truth… I forget if I was… you know… good enough."

"…what?"

"I mean, I never kissed anybody before- least, not like that- and… Well, look. I just wanna know if I was a good kisser, that's all."

"…you're not serious."

"I'm dead serious, man. I need to know. Did you like it?"

"I am not going to answer that question. Not now, not ever."

"Please, just tell me."

"I will gobble down a bucket of live scorpions dipped in cyanide and set myself on fire afterwards, before I ever answer that question."

"…So I was bad." Sonic frowned; his ears drooped in sheer disappointment. Then his ears perked back up again as an idea flashed in his slightly fizzed-out brain. "Okay, okay! New idea: you and me, in the closet, this afternoon."

"I know I'm gonna regret asking this, but…. Why?"

"I wanna try again."

Shadow jumped to his feet. "You have GOT to be kidding me."

"I can improve, I know it! Just lemmie try it with less tongue this time. I think I was a little too forceful last time."

"Oh my God, you are not actually considering this."

"I just need one. More. Try."

"Go. Screw. Yourself."

"That won't do me any good," shrugged Sonic; "I'm my own worst critic."

"GAHH!" growled Shadow all the louder, as he grabbed his doughnut and marched himself out of the dining room and into the lobby, trying to escape to the elevator.

But Sonic was close behind. "Okay, okay, what if I brushed my teeth first?"

Shadow roared; "AUGH! Go kiss Amy if you're so desperate!"

"Amy would tell me she liked it, even if I sucked! Come on, man, at least you're honest!"

The two of them stopped at the elevator, nut it wasn't opening fast enough for Shadow. **"Chaos-"**

"Don't even TRY it, buddy!" yelled Sonic, grabbing Shadow's arm. "You're not getting off that easily! Now are you gonna help me, or not?"

"Let go of me, you little-"

"Fine! I'll just have to do it right here."

"Sonic, NO!"

_Ding!_

The elevator doors opened for Knuckles, Rouge, Big, and the Chaotix. All were wide-eyed when they witnessed the two male hedgehogs locking lips on the other side of the elevator doors. Shadow's eyes were wide opened, and perhaps more horrified than the witnesses', while Sonic's were closed tight as he desperately pressed his muzzle against Shadow's.

Sonic then released his captive and pulled back. "…Well? How was that?"

By now, Shadow's doughnut was a shriveled mess, crushed by his clenched fist. He was so stiff, he couldn't breathe, until his mouth finally uttered the two words he wanted to say: **"ch-ch-as- con-trol."**

**Zip!** He was gone in a flash.

Sonic stood there with his mouth gaped open in shock. "….HEY! COME BACK! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME IF I WAS GOOD THAT TIME! …..Oh, hey guys."

As Sonic waved to them, the elevator riders all inched themselves as far away from him as they could before high-tailing it for the nearest exit.

There was a pause, as Sonic scratched his chin to ponder things, until at last Silver the time-traveling hedgehog walked by, unaware of all events that had come to pass until now.

As the silvery-white one passed him on his way to the dining room, Sonic smiled and snapped his fingers.

"Hey, Silver! Come'ere, I need your opinion on something!"

.

**END**


	32. Sally's Got Issues, Part 1: Sally

_In response to SnodinFan's review of my last drabble: I never feel forced to do requests. In fact, if I get one that's too tricky, I'll just pass on it because I don't have enough creative juices for it- or simply don't like the taste of said request. _

_Case in point: theatis' first request of having Amy dating Sonic behind Shadow's back, vica versa. It's just not in Amy's character to do such a thing, and I despise OOC-ness. So, sorry theatis, that's not gonna happen in my book._

_The last one was actually very fun to do, even if I broke my own rule and made Sonic a tad OOC. But then again, he IS adventurous; who's to say he wouldn't try anything once? So yeah, no regrets there._

_So everybody, keep those requests coming, and if I like it I'll write it. and if I don't, I'll tell you personally via PM. Fair enough? Cool._

_._

"**SALLY'S GOT ISSUES"**

**A Sally Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Part 1: A Dire Warning**

.

_Set in an alternate Archie-verse_

**.**

_Issue #121_

"…But that doesn't mean we wouldn't love to have you stay for dinner!" smiled Meg, new wife of Prince Elias, after her husband turned down the offer to return to his kingdom.

Sally and Sonic understood their situation; there was a child on the way, and Elias couldn't risk the safety of his new family, especially now when Robotnik had just ambushed their village and tried to capture all of the villagers. Sally and Sonic arrived just in time to put a stop to that, and were now honored guests.

"I thought you'd never ask!" grinned the hungry blue hedgehog, "So, are there chili dogs on the menu?"

Sally was about to roll her eyes, when-

_**WHOOSH!**_

A flash of white light, followed by a wild gust of wind, threw everybody off kilter. They shielded their eyes as their fur was swept by the shockwave.

When the dust settled, the squirrels and hedgehog looked around, and were amazed by the sight of a new character: an all-white, yellow-eyed hedgehog with pikes far longer than Sonic's, and with teal symbols glowing on his gloves.

"Who the heck are you?" gasped Sonic, pointing to his fellow species.

The young teen puffed up his chest fur. "I am Silver- Silver the Hedgehog! I have traveled from the far, distant future in order to stop a present disaster."

"…You wanna run that by me one more time, buddy?" asked a confused Sonic, after scratching his ear.

Silver glared darkly at him. "I'm not kidding; a terrible disaster is on the horizon. I've used the power of a Time Stone to travel back here, to the past, in hopes that I can warn you of what's soon to come."

Curious, Sally approached him. "Silver, is it?"

"Yes."

"I'm just-"

"The Hedgehog."

"Yes, indeed. Um, I'm a little bit curious as to what disaster you're talking about. Is it about Robotnik?"

"Oh, he'll always be a threat no matter what. But no, this disaster I speak of concerns you and your boyfriend. Sonic."

The young couple gasped and looked to each other. Sally blushed, and Sonic cracked a small smile. They had always had strong feelings for each other, especially nowadays, but weren't yet ready to be called "boyfriend and girlfriend."

Then Sally turned to Silver. "How did you know? …Oh, right. You're from the future."

"Indeed."

"Okay, okay," Sonic stepped in, acting impressed. "So let's say you're telling the truth, and some **greeaaat disaaaaster** is on the way and going to kill us all."

"It's not going to kill you," Silver shook his head. "…It'll just ruin you as a couple. And may even shatter your reputations a bit."

Again, Sally gasped- only this time there was a lot more fear in her big blue eyes. "What… what does that mean? Tell us, please!"

Silver gulped and took a breath before announcing to them: "You're going to make a fool out of yourself in front of all of your friends as you break up with Sonic."

"…That's it. That's the big disaster," Sonic shrugged, unimpressed.

"Yes," nodded the white hedgehog, still glaring at him with much seriousness.

"Well, Sal and I might get back together anyways; relationships are tricky, you know? I mean heck, I wasn't expecting us to always be together, but things work out in the long run… Dude, seriously, this is not gonna be a disaster."

"You haven't listened to me," Silver darkly replied to him. "This break-up, within a few months, is going to fill your future with regret and misery." He then pointed to Sally. "_Hers,_ especially!"

"Mine?" gulped Sally.

"And it gets worse from there," frowned Silver.

"Well, hold on! Hold on!" fluttered Sonic. "Can we see this break-up for ourselves? You can do that, can't you? Jump from time and space and whatnot?"

"Well, I can… but I've never done a group time-jump before. I don't know if my Time Stone has that much power."

"Give it a shot," suggested Sonic.

"Yeah," added Sally, "I want in too! I have to see this for myself."

"Okay then," sighed Silver. "You two, grab hold of m hands and don't let go until we've reached the new time."

Sally held Silver's left hand, Sonic his right. Then they braced themselves.

"**CHAOS… CONTROL!"**

_**SHOOM!**_

Elias and Meg found themselves missing their new guests as a flash of light swept them away.

Meg frowned in disappointment. "Hmm, too bad… I would have made chili dogs."

.

**TO BE CONTINUED IN OUR NEXT ISSU- …er… DRABBLE!**


	33. Sally's Got Issues, Part 2: Sally

_This one's for all my fellow Sally fans. You're welcome, in advance. ^.^_

"**SALLY'S GOT ISSUES"**

**A Sally Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Part 2: A Tale of Two Sallies**

.

_Set in an alternate Archie-verse_

**.**

_Issue #134_

_**SLAP!**_

Everyone in the audience, looking up on the stage that evening, were stilled and silenced with horror. But none so more than Sonic, who had just received the slap to the face while still recovering from his most recent adventure- the proof was in his orange cast wrapped around his right arm.

He had just told his long-time love interest, who had grown out her lovely long hair, that he was not yet ready to settle down with her as king. At least, in very small words, he did. But he certainly did not expect this reaction… especially not from** her**.

"I should've _known _you'd be selfish!" declared an enraged and heartbroken Sally.

"…Selfish?" uttered a shocked Sonic. Then sorrow turned to rage: "I sacrificed my LIFE to save the planet, ended up on the far side of the UNIVERSE because of it, did everything I could to get back, to find out I lost a whole YEAR of my life, and now I just wanna END this stupid WAR! HOW IS THAT SELFISH?"

Long-Haired Sally stood her ground, only now there were tears streaming down her face. "Do you know what it was like believing you were dead! It completely broke my heart! Watching Mecha hurt you brought it all back… and I **refuse** to have my heart broken again, Sonic." She then brought herself closer to him; now he was starting to shed tears too.

"What's more important to you, anyway?" she blurted out. "Punching out Robotnik's lights, or being with me?"

The two of them stared each other down, neither knowing what to say… when…

"Alright, that's it. That is IT."

Long-haired Sally was stunned to hear her own voice coming up from behind her. She turned around, and stared into her own reflection. Actually, it was the Short-Haired Sally from Issue #121 that was staring her down. Quite furiously, too.

"Who are you?" asked Long-Haired Sally of the Present.

"What, don't I look familiar?" said Past Sally in a cocky tone.

"You look like me."

Past Sally shoved her index finger into Present Sally's chest. "That's because I'm the real Sally Acorn, and _you're_ an imposter!"

The audience gasped.

"That's absurd!" gasped Present Sally.

"Look, girlfriend," explained her past self, "I was brought here from the past, after hearing about some disaster that was to come. And sure enough, I see you making a complete fool of yourself in front of everybody!"

"What do you mean?"

"Look around you! You're surrounded by your family and friends, and instead of doing things with dignity, you go and slap the love of your life in the face! How DARE you! After everything he's done, everything he's sacrificed for our world!"

While Past Sally was ranting, Past Sonic decided he would no longer hide behind a tree with Silver the Hedgehog. Instead, he crept up behind his Future Self, whose appearance was too cartoony even for his taste.

"Dude," he muttered to the other Sonic, "what's up with your face?"

"Huh?" replied Present Sonic, still rubbing his injured cheek.

"Your eyes are all goofy, and stuff. What happened?"

"What're you talking about? Nothing's wrong with my face."

Meanwhile, Present, Long-Haired Sally stood her ground against the more tomboyish Past Sally. "Look, whoever you are, you don't know the first thing about me! I've just been elected by my parents to rule in their stead, and I _need_ a good, strong king by my side."

"Psh! Since when do you need _any_ man by your side! Haven't I already proven myself as a capable leader of the Freedom Fighters?"

"Yes, but times are changing. The Freedom Fighters are as good as disbanded."

"So what? And by the way, haven't you forgotten about a certain b-r-o-t-h-e-r who you're well aware is still alive?"

"Yes, but it's not like he's going to show up and take responsibility anytime soon."

"WHAT THE CRAP IS THE TAILS DOLL DOING IN THE AUDIENCE!" screamed a horrified Past Sonic, pointing at the red-jeweled culprit hiding among the animal folks in the background.

His finger wandered to another location in the audience: "And look! Fleetway characters! Is that even legal?"

"Shuddup, Sonic!" snapped Past Sally, trying to get things back on track. She resumed her argument with her present self: "Look, my point is that you can't possibly be the real me. You are WAY too out of character. You don't even have short hair!"

"Well, I thought Sonic was dead for a whole year, so I was in mourning."

"Well, he's back now, so… Cut it up, already."

"You have no right to barge in here and claim that I'm a faker!"

"That's right, Shadow's the Faker!" called out Silver, stepping out of hiding.

All Sonics and Sallies turned to him with the same "WTF" looks on their faces. Realizing that they had yet to even meet shadow, Silver blushed with a smile. "Sorry. Force of habit. Go on."

Growing bolder, Long-Haired Sally stepped closer to her short-haired counterpart. "Maybe you're the imposter here."

Past Sally gave her a look and crossed her arms. "Please. Everybody knows I'm not a whiney, controlling, slap-happy little crybaby."

She pressed her face up into Past Sally's, touching noses. "Who're _you_ calling crybaby?"

Past Sally pushed back. "If the shoe fits, bitch."

"Alright, that's it!"

"Squirrel fight! Squirrel fight! Squirrel fight!" cheered the two excited Sonics, soon to be backed up by certain audience members in chant.

It started with Past Sally shoving the present one backward, then getting a hard shove back. Then, finally… _SLAP!_

_SLAP!_

_SLAP!_

_DOUBLE-SLAP!_

_DOUBLE-SLAP,_ and _KICK_ to the knee.

"Stop hittin' yourself! Stop hittin' yourself!" screamed/cheered Present Sonic, with Past Sonic rolling on the floor with laughter.

_SLAP, SLAP, SLAP, SLAP,_ **PUNCH!**

"Augh!" Present Sally doubled over in pain after getting a fist to her gut. Enraged, she threw herself at Past Sally, and the two of them started to wrestle like pros. Past Sally got a hold of her present self's long red locks and tugged mercilessly. "Wanna cut it now? How 'bout now, huh?"

Present Sally returned with an elbow to the face- **POW!**

"Oooo!" groaned the two Sonics.

Meanwhile, Tails Doll was eating a male cat's head. Nobody seemed to notice.

**PUNCH, KICK, SMACK! PUNCH-MISS! SWEEP OF THE LEG! BOOT TO THE HEAD! NOOGIE! BITE TO THE ARM!**

"Okay," muttered a very nervous Silver, "this may be getting out of hand. I'm not sure what this will do to the…" Then he felt it, a sudden quake in the atmosphere, as if the whole playing field was becoming distorted. "….time/space continuum," he finished, with ears drooped back in fear.

It seemed that only Silver was able to see it, but everything around him- trees, people, even the sky- was appearing to ripple and melt like water. Alarmed, he rushed to the stage and stopped in front of the dueling Sallies.

"Girls, girls! Stop it now, okay? We've gotta get you back to the past before-"

**POW!** Both girls accidentally punched Silver right in the face, sending him reeling back to the two Sonics.

Past Sonic caught him; "Hey, Silver! You alright?" he asked.

"Uhh… I'm seeing doubles," he replied weakly.

"It's okay, it's me! Sonic!"

"I'm Sonic," argued the blue hedgehog with the cast on his right arm.

Past Sonic sot him a look. "Whatever, dude. And seriously, what is wrong with your face?"

"Enough!" gasped Silver, regaining his composure. He jumped to his feet, and his gloves started to glow bright teal. He waved them in the air, and magically the two Sallies were split apart from each other, hovering by the power of Silver's telekinesis.

"This has gone far enough!" growled Silver, still holding the ladies in his magical grasp. "This time is falling apart; we have to get out of here now! Sonic? Sally?"

"Right," nodded Past Sonic, jumping to Silver's side.

"Okay," Past Sally gave a thumbs up, and Silver brought her over to him through his power.

Once she landed by Silver's side, both Past Sally and Past Sonic grabbed hold of his hands. "Let's blow this party. CHAOS… CONTROL!"

**Zip!**

Darkness filled the void of the present time and space…

.

**TO BE CONCLUDED**


	34. Sally's GotIssues, Part 3: Sally

_In response to Ghostkid33's review: Yes, I have been planning on that particular SonSal fic for a while now, but I just haven't come up with a song, or had chosen a suitable one yet. But I think that's changed, because I recently heard one on the radio that feels like it fits the bill. So stay tuned for that…_

_And now, on to the dramatic (well, not really) conclusion of this bizarre Archie Sonic drabble!_

"**SALLY'S GOT ISSUES"**

**A Sally Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Part 3: Way Cool Past**

.

_Set in an alternate Archie-verse_

**.**

_Issue #121_

**Zip!**

There stood the three of them- Silver, Sonic, and Short-Haired Sally, just minutes after their time shift. Her brother Elias and his new wife had probably gone back to their tree house, awaiting their arrival. It was a good thing too, because the three of them would need the time alone.

"Woah… what a mind trip," uttered Sonic, still reeling from the time twist.

"I know," replied Sally as she rubbed her head. "That felt like a terrible dream… Silver, did we succeed in changing our future?"

The silvery-white hedgehog closed his eyes in mild meditation. "…I can feel that the time shift has settled; things are stable now. But yeah, I think it's safe to say that your future is secure from that horrible break-up… If you want, I can check just to be sure."

"So, is this goodbye?" asked Sonic, almost sad to see him go.

Silver smiled, "For now, yes, but I believe we may meet again."

"In the future?" Sally smiled back, almost jokingly.

"Of course," nodded Silver. "Well, good luck you two. I'm off… CHAOS CONTROL!"

**Zip!** He was gone in a flash.

Now that they were alone, Sally and Sonic paused to collect their thoughts.

"So…"

"Yeah… Weird."

"A little awkward too, wouldn't you say?"

"…Her eyes were so beady."

"I know! I kept wondering what was up with their weird faces and all…" Sonic sighed.

"Sonic?"

"Yeah, Sal."

"I meant what I said back there… I really feel like I don't need a big strong man by my side."

"I understand; you don't want to be dependant, and I don't wanna be tied down."

"Exactly…"

"…."

"….so… what does this mean for us, exactly?" There was a certain touch of gloom in her voice, as if she was expecting him to run away from her for good.

Sonic looked into her big blue eyes and said with most sincerity: "Sally, I'll always love you. But we're clearly not ready for a big commitment yet."

"Yeah… It's kind of sad though. Don't you wish we could fast forward all the wars and adventures and get to the good part already?" Then she gasped and covered her mouth in horror. "Oh, snap! I almost sounded like my Future Self just now!"

Sonic couldn't help but laugh.

"It's not funny!"

"Sal, relax." He wrapped his bare arm around her. "We're gonna be okay, you saw that yourself. Sure, we'll be apart for a while, but I always believe that things work out no matter what. And who knows? In the distant future, we could get that happily ever after we always wanted."

"Yeah… you always were the optimistic one."

"Meh, it comes with the territory."

She snuggled up to him, even going as far as giving him a small peck on the cheek. "…I would never hold you down, Sonic. Not unless you want me to."

"Aww," he purred, blushing a bit. "You're too cute for words… Oh, Sal?"

"Hmm?"

"You can grow your hair if you want. I kinda like it."

"Heh-heh-heh… Maybe. In time."

.

_Issue #134, Revised_

He had to make absolutely sure that he did the right thing. As before, Silver hid behind a big tree while many Mobians were gathered around a big wooden stage. The royal family was present and accounted for. Sonic was there too, still in his orange cast. He and Sally waited while the king made his speech about touring the world, promoting a stop to the dreaded Doctor Robotnik, adding, "And my daughter Sally will rule in my stead!"

This came as no surprise to Sonic or Sally; they heard it before, from another time.

And yes, even the Tails Doll was present. Still eating a cat. And still, no one seemed to notice.

Silver smiled, seeing as how there was a slightly different aura about Sonic and Sally. Yet, he couldn't help but feel like something could still happen to break the mood- something he couldn't stop, for Fate demanded a dramatic stand-off that night.

And he was right.

The king turned back to Sally and Sonic with a concerned frown. "It has come to my attention that you two are no longer dating. Is that correct?"

"Yes, father," nodded Sally, whose hair wasn't as long as it was in her first version, but not as short as it was in the past either. It seemed she took Sonic's advice and let it grow out a little.

Sonic added with a nod of his own. "We're still a little shaken up by our last adventure, and decided to take things a little slower."

"Slower? You, Sonic?" The king couldn't help but chuckle. This made even Sally smirk a bit, much to Sonic's amusement.

Silver couldn't help but feel proud of himself at that moment; this was his first time at a successful time-shift, after all. Everything looked perfect in his golden eyes…

But then, unexpectedly, Antoine with his scarred left eye walked onto the stage. There was definitely something different about him, besides the obvious scar. As he approached the princess, she couldn't help but feel a chill fall down her spine, though she didn't know why.

In actuality, he was the cold-hearted alternate of Antoine, named Patch. He was hell-bent on marrying into the royal family, and in another reality he would have waited a bit longer for his turn at wooing the princess. But now that Sonic and Sally had announced their break-up, he was keen on making his move now.

"Princess," said the darkly-toned Antoine. "Since you are now temporarily in charge, don't you think it is time that you've chosen a husband for yourself?"

Sally blinked in surprise. "W-what? Antoine, what are you saying?"

He smiled almost sinisterly at her. "As your father's new High Commander, I am offering you my hand in marriage."

"What?"

"WHAT?" gasped Sonic in shock.

"What?" shrugged the coy coyote. "I know this is a surprise-"

"You're telling _me_!" growled the more than slightly jealous Sonic.

Patch shot him a look. "This does not concern you, hedgehog. Besides, you had your chance with her."

"Antoine, please!" Sally retorted. "Sonic and I are taking a small break. And I thought you loved Bunnie."

"Hmph," snorted the evil Antoine look-alike. "Bunnie was just a fling, nothing more. You, Sally my dear, are truly the love of my life."

Sally's ears twitched upon hearing Bunnie cry out in heartbreak from within the audience. She tried to locate her, but could only see the yellow rabbit's figure escaping the crowd, humiliated and crushed. Sally's heart went out to her.

"Antoine… You take that back."

"I'm afraid it's too late, princess! Please, you must understand how right this match-up is. You, the newly-crowned Queen, and I a royal knight. We are destined for each other! Deep down, you know it to be true."

"No."

"…What?"

"I said NO, Antoine. I am _not _going to marry you, especially not like this!"

Patch's patience was wearing thin. "Sally, my love… Don't make me beg."

Sally's eyes glanced at Sonic's. Something was telling them that this was bound to happen. That somehow, in some way…** someone** just **had** to be smacked this night.

"I'll do worse, Antoine… I'll make you HURT!"

**SMACK!**

Gasps filled the audience as Patch took the full blow of Sally's hand to his face. He covered his injury, but looked back up at her with his dark eyes now burning with anger. But instead of returning a blow, he decided that his time in the spotlight was over… for now.

"My dear princess… I will have your hand yet."

As Patch marched away, humbled but not yet beaten, Sally stood her ground on the stage. There was a brief pause before another kind of smacking sound began. It was coming from Knuckles and Tails.

They were clapping for her.

Within seconds, the whole party rose in applause for the princess, who had proven herself once and for all that her dignity was completely in tact. Sonic was proud of her too, though he couldn't help but feel that this was just the beginning of a new drama.

He would be right, of course; Patch would continue to cut corners and lie his way into Sally's life, practically forcing her to marry him for his own personal gain. However, his scheming would come to a crashing halt thanks to her brother Elias, who at that time would finally be ready to take his rightful place at the throne.

All of this made sense to Silver, who decided that his work here was done. The future could handle things on its own now. It was time to move on.

"Now…" he softly mused to himself. "I gotta see about a certain King Shadow…"

**Zip!** He was gone again.

.

**END**


	35. In Whose Eyes?: Sonic Shipping

_This was requested by Ghostkid33, but strictly as a SonSal._

_I've just covered SonSal, and I know there are dozens of other Sonic couples out there that need to be covered. So this one is for all of you. Enjoy._

"**IN WHOSE EYES?"**

**A Sonic Couples Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by Ghostkid33, dedicated to all Sonic-Shippers**

.

"_In Your Eyes," _lyrics by Peter Gabriel

**.**

It was a quiet and peaceful afternoon in Green Hill Zone, the perfect setting for Sonic to do some guitar practice.

He chose an open spot in the forest, where he was certain to be alone for a while. There weren't even any birds chirping, it was so secluded. And so, he sat down, his back up against a pine tree, and tuned his guitar. Once he was settled, he began to play…

"_Love…_

_I get so lost, sometimes_

_Days pass,_

_And this emptiness fills my heart._

_I drive off in my car,_

_But whichever I may go,_

_I come back,_

_To the place you are._

"_All my instincts, they return._

_And the grand façade, so soon will burn._

_Without a noise, without my pride_

_I reach out from the inside._

"_Oh-oh-oh,_

_Oh-oh-oh._

"_In your eyes, the light the heat._

_In your eyes, I am complete._

_In your eyes, I see the doorway-_

_In your eyes- to a thousand churches-_

_Your eyes, the resolution-_

_Your eyes, of all the fruitless searches._

_Oh, I see the light and the heat._

_Oh, I want to be that complete._

_I wanna touch the light, the heat_

_I see in your eyes… In your eyes…"_

But the blue hedgehog was not alone, as it turned out. This was a place for many a Mobian to claim sanctuary from their daily dramas- most of all the princess Sally. She was the first to catch the sound of the guitar strings strum, and that familiar warm voice singing in the air. Instinctively, she followed it until it brought her to where her singer was.

Amused and curious, she watched from behind a tree as Sonic continued to play, still thinking he was alone.

"_Love,_

_I don't like to see so much pain._

_So much wasted,_

_And this moment keeps slipping away…"_

Mina Mongoose rose up from the brush to find out where the beautiful music was coming from, and joined Sally as they both admired Sonic's music in secret.

"_I get so tired of working so hard for our survival,_

_I took the time with you, to keep me awake and alive."_

Amy Rose was the first to come out in the open, and took a seat on a fallen log near Sonic. Still his eyes were closed shut, and so he took no notice of her. But that was fine by her, because all she wanted at that moment was to hear him play.

She was soon joined by Sally and Mina, each sitting on the log in quiet admiration. But almost instantly following them were Blaze the Cat, Shade the Echidna, and human/hybrids Sara (of Sonic OVA) and Elise (of Sonic '06).

Blaze lit a torch from her finger, reminiscent of a fan's cigarette lighter at a rock concert.

And still, the hedgehog played on.

"_And all my instincts, they return._

_And the grand façade, so soon will burn_

_Without a noise, without my pride_

_I reach out from the inside!_

"_Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh…_

_In your eyes"_

"_Your eyes!" _all the girls chimed in, startling their singer but only for a moment.

Sonic, realizing he now had an audience, gave them a smile. _"The light, the heat."_

"_**In your eyes."**_They chanted along…

"_I am complete."_

"_**In your eyes."**_

"_I see the doorway."_

"_**In your eyes."**_

"_To a thousand churches."_

"_**In your eyes."**_

"_The resolution…"_

"_**In your eyes."**_

"…_of all the fruitless searches."_

"_**In your eyes."**_

"_Oh, I see the light and the heat."_

"_**In your eyes."**_

"_Oh, I wanna be that complete."_

"_**In your eyes."**_

"_I want to touch the light, the heat I see __**in your eyes…**_

_In your eyes…"_

"Thanks, girls." He winked, as they- his biggest fans- applauded.

.

**END**


	36. Cutscene 4, Uncut: Sonic and Tails

_I am so sick and tired of the complaints about the new Sonic character voices. People, let it go. The voices are fine, really. You're just ticked off because they keep changing voice actors on us- while that IS annoying, that's not enough to keep the rest of us from buying and playing the games. Remember, kids, it's all about the games. Not the voices._

_They need to go easy on the cut scenes anyway, and just let us play…_

_Anyway, here's my take on the cut scene of "Sonic Colors" that can be seen on YouTube. Enjoy._

"**CUTSCENE #4: THE UNCUT VERSION"**

**A Sonic and Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

Set in _"Sonic Colors"_

**.**

He was in such a rush that he breezed right by Tails and his new floating jellyfish-like companion. Sonic moon-walked back to the duo, shaking his head in slight embarrassment.

"Oh, there you are!" smiled Tails, as he sat on the street curb with his new do-hickey thing-a-ma-bob in his lap. "Where'd you run off to?"

"I did a little shopping, grabbed a bite to eat, AND… trashed a giant killer robot." With that, Sonic clasped his hands in victory.

Not as impressed as Sonic expected him to be, Tails just nodded, "Really? They've got shops here too?"

Sonic glanced around. "This place has everything… So, how's your translator-thingie coming along?"

Tails' eyes drooped as he glanced down at his invention. "I-I think it's done… It's in binary code, so only I can read it."

That wouldn't help matters, since binary code only consisted of two symbols: 0 and 1. With such a lack in coding, the translator could have picked up pretty much any word it wanted.

The little fox pressed the Start button, and the do-hickey-thingie's satellite microphone lifted upward. "Okay, ask away," commanded Tails.

Sonic took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and addressed the little blue alien. "Who. Are. You. And. What. Is. Happening. To Your. People?"

The creature twirled his tentacles around, blabbering in squeaks.

"…Okay," nodded Tails as he read the translator's binary codes. "He says… 'Your voice sounds so much older than it used to be. Did your balls suddenly drop?'"

Sonic's eyes narrowed at Tails. "Nice try, buddy."

Tails giggled slightly. "Sorry, had to say it… He says he liked Ryan Drummond's voice better."

"Tails!"

"Sorry, sorry! …Okay, he says his name is Talks-A-Lot, and he's from a far away soda, where flowers water them with dances."

Sonic took a moment to let his ears twitch. "Yeah, uh, I think your machine still has some bugs. …And an attitude problem."

"Yeah," Tails frowned, "I think I can figure it out though…. The bugs, not the attitude problem." He hit a few more buttons before reading the translation again.

"Here, can I ask him another question?"

"Sure."

Sonic turned to the alien. "What do you think of his new voice? Does it sound too feminine to you?"

The little alien shook its head and waved its tentacle-like arms again.

Sonic smiled, "Not as feminine as the last time, right?" He giggled, while Tails narrowed his eyes at him in dismay.

"If you wanna talk about annoying feminine voices, try Amy's."

"Ohmygod yes!" Sonic nodded. "Just thinking of her stratosphere-pitched _**'SONIKUU'**_ scream, my ears bleed."

"Okay! All joking aside," said Tails, "I think I get what he said earlier. He says his name is Yacker, and he's from a race of beings called Wisps."

"Lisps?"

"No, no. Wisps, with a W."

Sonic turned to the readers; "Yeah, I'll just stick with 'aliens' if that's alright with everybody."

"He also says it's gay to break the fourth wall."

"Ah, don't knock it till you try it, Tails."

"Heh, sure…" Tails read on, "So anyway, they're being used for their magical powers by an evil man, or…to make underwear to be worn by salad."

Sonic and Yacker shook their heads in unison; not the right translation, that one.

"I just hear, 'Save them, save them.' Over and over."

"Save who, 4Kids?"

"Ugh, Sonic!"

"What? Not that I would, of course."

"I think he means 'Save the Wisps."

"Riiiight. The Wisps. …Heh, 4Kids is screwed." Sonic then changed the subject rather quickly: "When I was running around trashing robots, I saw a map that had some interesting places. I think I'll go check 'em out. And maybe save some aliens."

"And bring back Ryan Drummond."

"SHUT UP, TAILS."

Yacker sighed; this was going to be a _looong _rescue mission.

.

**END**


	37. The Damage is Done: Sonic 3, Knuckles

_"We can't go on together, with suspicious minds."_

_-_Elvis Presley

.

"**THE DAMAGE IS DONE"**

**A "Sonic 3/Knuckles" Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**.**

Unbelievable.

A whole forest burned to the ground, a massive earthquake that shattered Marble Garden, and now Carnival Night Zone was up to its knees in lake water due to said earthquake. All of this, in just one day.

Was it a coincidence, thought the red echidna, that this would be the very same day on which that blue hedgehog arrived?

He thought about it, as long and hard as any echidna could think. But as he sat with his legs curled under his waist while the sun went down over the island, a light bulb went off in his brain:

"That scientist guy showed up first, _then_ the hedgehog."

For the first time, Knuckles began to question his new ally, Dr. Robotnik. He claimed to have been attacked by the "blue menace," and that he was the cause for the doc's flying fortress to come crashing down onto Angel Island. But now he had to wonder… Why? Why is that hedgehog so hell-bent on coming after Robotnik?

Knuckles had to know.

.

The mad doctor stared at a computer monitor in his main lab, counting up his drill-bots that were making a quick return from Marble Garden. They had not only failed to find the hidden Chaos Emeralds, or even the legendary Master Emerald, but now two of them were destroyed by Sonic and Tails. This was not his day, and it was about to get worse.

"Robotnik!" called out the echidna as he marched into the lab.

"Ah! Kn-knuckles!" gasped the scientist, switching off his computer monitor before his visitor could see what was on it. "Wha-what brings you here, my boy? Have you chased off that pesky hedgehog yet?"

"Not yet," grimaced Knuckles, his eyes narrowly staring the doctor down. "I just have a quick question for you."

"Oh? Do tell…" He grinned widely.

"You never told me why exactly this hedgehog is chasing you. Have you done something to him in the past?"

Robotnik gasped, clutching his chest as though deeply offended. "Ugh! Me! Do something awful! Why, what ever made you think that my dear friend?"

Knuckles wasn't buying it. "My Marble Garden is in ruins- well actually, they always have been in ruins, but now the whole landscape is leveled! No single hedgehog could pull that off, no matter how much he burrowed!"

"Oh, dear! …It's worse than I thought." As he said this, Robotnik slowly turned away, hanging his head in false terror.

"…What do you mean?" asked the curious echidna.

"Don't you see, Knuckles? Sonic must have at least one of the Chaos emeralds in his possession! It's the only way he could have destroyed that poor little… uh… Garden, is it?"

Knuckles glanced away; now that he mentioned it, Robotnik's words made sense. Of course a Chaos Emerald could have been involved; Sonic must have…

"Wait. You didn't answer my question earlier."

"Hmm? What's that?"

"Why exactly is this Sonic character after you?"

Robotnik turned back to Knuckles, his face as stern as ever. "He's a_ villain_, don't you get it! He doesn't care WHO he hurts, or WHAT he destroys, as long as he gets what he wants! And right now, what he really wants are those Master and Chaos Emeralds."

"I can see that," nodded Knuckles, "but still…"

"But still, nothing!" Now he was losing his temper. "Look, I said I was sorry about crashing down here, didn't I? But it wasn't my fault! It was HIS!"

"You told me already…" Knuckles was now feeling very confused; something still wasn't adding up, and now he couldn't put his mitten on it. He sighed, "Alright, I'll keep my eyes out for him."

"You better, you ungrateful little… Ahem! I mean, thank you so much for your help, Knuckles. I really don't know what I would do without you, my dear boy."

"Whatever…"

As Knuckles turned around to walk himself out, another light bulb flashed in his brain: "…You've mentioned the Master Emerald."

"Hmph."

"…..I never told you about that."

Robotnik's eyes would have bulged out of his head, had they not been shielded by his sunglasses. Realizing his mistake, he quickly coughed. "Ah-ahem! Hmm… Well, I am a scientist you know. It's my job to do research on things, and, well, I- I've looked it up on the Internet and all… I just know these things, being the genius that I am! No go, hurry, before that evil hedgehog gets it!"

Knuckles remained still for a moment, letting the doctor's poor excuse sink in. Then he shrugged and took off.

Once he was alone, Robotnik continued his plans to dig deeper into the earth, until that Master Emerald was found.

.

Knuckles was many things, but not an idiot. He knew something wasn't right with that crazy doctor, and now that he knew about the Master Emerald, he was beginning to look like an equal threat as the hedgehog.

And so, that marked the last time that Knuckles would speak directly to Robotnik; he slept with one eye open from then on.

.

**END**


	38. Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Tails

…

"**OPEN MOUTH, INSERT FOOT"**

**A Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing"_

**.**

"Sonic," grumbled Tails as he stood by and watched his best friend jam a chili dog down his throat, "that's your eighth chili dog today!"

Sonic, who was sitting in his car while Tails and the rest of the pit crew give his wheels a check-up, replied smugly, "What? You never saw me eat my own weight in chili dogs before?"

"Well, yeah, but it can't be healthy for you… I mean, you are a hedgehog, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Do hedgehogs normally eat chili dogs?"

"We eat whatever we like, buddy. It's how we roll… What about you? Don't you have a favorite food that you can't get enough of?"

With his eyes wide and tails wagging, the little fox grinned, "CHICKEN!"

Sonic would have smiled with a reply, but then his attention veered to the far left, opposite Tails. His smile dropped to a small frown and his ears pulled back in either fear or shame.

"…What?" chirped the fox. As he leaned over to see past Sonic's head, he could see that Billy Hatcher was standing by. Clearly, Billy heard the little fox's "Chicken" comment, for his face was blue with utter terror. Before Tails could explain himself, the chicken-dressed boy ran off in mad panic.

Ashamed of himself, Tails tucked his ears back as he looked back to Sonic. "I'll shuddup about the chili dogs now."

"You do that."

.

**END**


	39. Two Sides of a Coin: Shadow and Hope

…

"**TWO SIDES OF A COIN"**

**A Shadow and Hope Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by Storm337**

_Set in the Archie-verse, in Shadow's POV_

**.**

Her last name is Kintobor…

Heh, funny. Maria's last name was Robotnik, the same name in reverse.

This both puzzles and amuses me, just as their physical resemblances do.

They're both blonde-haired, blue-eyed, both human yet Overlander.

Even their personalities mirror each other's; kind, wise beyond years, brave. …Perhaps if given the chance, she would make the same self-sacrifice for a greater good.

"Come on Shadow, let's watch the sunset up at Guardian Mountain. We could see Soleanna from there!"

When I'm with her, I feel the same sense of duty to protect, just as I did with Maria on the ARK. I also feel an overwhelming sense of peace.

I know she's not Maria, Maria is gone. But when I'm with this one, even my grief seems to dwindle away. For a moment at least. …Especially when she hugs me like this…

She's not my Maria.

She is my Hope.

.

**END**


	40. Honor Among Thieves: Rouge and Fang

_TO THE _"SONIC WARRIORS"_ READERS: …Anybody wondering what's been going on in Sonic's world while he and his allies were away?_

…

"**HONOR AMONG THIEVES"**

**A Rouge and Fang Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Sonic Warriors" by Snodin_

**.**

**Casino Night Zone.**

Finally, after nearly three days of being on the lam, Fang the Sniper felt safe to relax. He took refuge in one of many casinos, which for some outside the city would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Inside, the cowboy-like thief sat down at a bar and ordered up a small coke.

As he waited for his drink, Fang pulled out the small leather bag of goodies he had hidden in his boot. He paused to see if anyone was watching him before he peered inside at the small diamonds.

"Hoo-wee! You little dasrlin's are sure lookin' extra sweet t'night."

"You're not so unsightly yourself, 'darlin'."

He gasped, recognizing tat sultry voice. He turned around, and saw that his tracker, Rouge the Bat, was sitting nonchalantly in the stool next to his. "YAH! Where in tarnation did _you_ come from, girly!"

"It wasn't hard; where else would a money-grubbling little weasel go for quick cash?"

Alerted, Fang reached for his small pistol on his gun belt, when Rouge waved him down.

"Relax, tough guy; I'm off duty tonight." To prove herself, she raised her arms to show that she wasn't holding any G.U.N. weapons or even her badge.

"…Yer not gonna arrest me?"

"Let's just talk for a second… Oh, your drink's up."

"Hmph." Fang was careful to stare down the bat while he reached for his soda glass. "…Whatcha wanna talk about, politics n' stuff?"

Rouge leaned on the bar rather seductively. "I've been watching you for a while now, Fang. And to be perfectly honest, I'm impressed with your style. You have been giving me and Shadow a run for our money lately, and I _know _how much it peeves him."

"He ain't here, is he?" The wily weasel's eyes darted back and forth.

"No, he's been gone for a while now. Probably still letting off steam from the last time you escaped us. But enough about Shadow… Let's talk about _us_."

Fang nearly choked as half of his drink got stuck in his throat in reaction to the she-bat's odd request.

"Oh please," her eyes narrowed and ears faltered. "I'm not talking about going steady! Yeesh, you'd think I was desperate."

After spitting out his soda and pausing to breathe, Fang glared suspiciously at her. "Yer pullin' mah leg, girlie. There's no way you n' me are doin' anythin' t'gether!"

"Not even if it means nabbing the greatest gem on the planet?"

Calmer now, Fang swirled his stool around to look Rouge in the face. "…You talkin' 'bout the Mastah Em'rald?"

"The same."

"But… First of all, that place is guarded by that crazy 'kidna!"

"Don't worry about Knuckles; I've wrapped him around my finger dozens of times already."

"Well, second of all, why would you even bother? Ah mean, you're a G.U.N. agent now, ain'tcha?"

"Yes, but that's just a job. And whenever I'm not working with them, I'm free to do as I please. Besides, I've always considered myself a Thief first, Agent second."

Fang couldn't believe his ears. "You? A thief? Really?"

"Me. A thief. Really."

"Well, tarnation!"

"What does that even mean?"

"Eh… Nothin', nevermind. So, you wanna team up wit me t'steal the emeralds? What's the catch?"

"Heh, I should've known you'd ask something like that. You are a weasel of course."

"Half-weasel, but you git th'idea."

"Right… Well, I guess the one catch would be for you to return those jewels you already stole back to their rightful owners. I'll even help you do it- and no, there won't be any arrests involved. We'll do it in the dead of night, so there's no harm, no foul."

"And after that, we head off t'Angel Island?"

"For the biggest prize of them all."

"Hmmm."

For years, Fang worked alone, but since he had failed in stealing the Chaos and Master emeralds in the past, perhaps it was about time he did have an accomplice. And this she-bat fit the bill almost as though it were by the hand of fate. Still, there was something about her that felt shady. It took one to know one.

"…A'right, you gotta deal. But when we git that emerald, we split it fifty-fifty. Deal?"

"Deal."

They shook on it, and left the casino together that night, their eyes fixed on the prize at hand.

…

**- NEW TEAM! -**

**GOLD DIGGERS**

**Rouge the Bat (Flight-Type) and Fang the Sniper (Weapons-Type)**

.

**CONTINUED IN "SONIC WARRIORS," CHAPTER 18**


	41. Hedgehog Day: Sonic and Shadow

…_Holy crap, ZERO reviews for the last Drabble. I have a lot to make up for. o.O_

_P.S.: Sorry if this has been done already._

…

"**HEDGEHOG DAY"**

**A Sonic and Shadow Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**.**

FUN FACT: Long before groundhogs were used in America as part of the tradition, English farmers believed that hedgehogs could predict early spring by seeing their shadow.

…

**February 2****nd****.**

After months of lazy hibernation, it was time for Sonic to stretch his legs and move out of his den. He yawned and scratched his back, still trying to shake off his sleep, as he opened his front door. He was almost blinded by the sun's reflection off the snow which lingered for weeks now. But that didn't deter him for long, because he knew that now was the time for renewal.

He glanced leftward.

He glanced rightward.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for the snow. This make his heart beat faster, and his mouth curled into a smile. At last, it was time for a morning run, the first of the year for him.

But then-

"AAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGHH!"

At the sight of his blackened likeness, Sonic was overwhelmed with fright, and darted back into his den, slamming the door shut.

Shadow the Hedgehog watched as his blue look-alike raced back into hibernation. Then he turned to his audience, seemingly disappointed.

"Sorry, folks. Six more weeks of winter."

.

**END**


	42. Beautiful: Bunnie Rabbot

_Miss me?_

_Yeah, I took a long break. A VERY long break. But I'm back now, and I think it's about time I did a Bunnie Rabbot drabble, cause she's one of my all-time Sonic-gal faves._

_And before you even say anything, yes, I AM misspelling certain words on purpose here. It's to go with Bunnie's Southern twang. So there. (Sticky tongue)_

…

"**BEAUTIFUL"**

**A Bunnie Rabbot Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**.**

She had to have been staring into that mirror for two hours at least. Princess Sally was getting worried for her friend.

She went upstairs to the second level of the straw hut, where she found Bunnie in her bedroom, still at that mirror, still gazing in awe at her new cybernetic limbs. It had been almost a month since her horrific transformation, but not even Sally could guess what was going through that Southern Belle's mind.

"Bunnie? …You okay?" purred the princess.

Bunnie's one straight ear twitched. "Huh? Oh, hey Sally-gal. What's up?"

"You've been up here for a while, I was starting to worry."

"Worry? 'Bout lil' ol' me? Naw," perked the yellow rabbit. "Ah'm jest fahn."

But Sally could see that Bunnie's eyes were glued to her reflection; she couldn't be just fine. "It… It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"What hurts? …Oh, these?" With that, Bunnie tapped one of her silver knees with her silver cyber-paw. "Naw, t'be honest, Ah can't really feel a thang down here."

"Oh. That's good… I guess."

Perhaps it was too late to ask Bunnie if she would want to take the risk of returning to Robotropolis, run the gauntlet of SWAT bots and Badniks, and find a Roboticizing machine to reverse the effects. Perhaps she was adjusting to the change, despite the occasional gawks and stares she received from on-looking Freedom Fighters.

"Well," sighed Sally as she turned away, "if you need me I'll be downstairs." She had nearly gotten her second foot through the door when she heard, "Sally?"

"Yes, Bunnie?"

Finally, the yellow rabbit turned away from the mirror and looked to her friend, her eyes dialated, as though she were on the verge of tears. "Is it… ya thank it's okay if Ah like me this way?"

"Huh?" Sally skipped back into the room.

"What Ah'm tryin' t'say is, well… Ah… Ah kinda like me this way. Ah mean, bein' half-robot does have its perks, don't it?"

"It does," nodded Sally with confidence. "It makes you stronger and faster."

"Yeah," Bunnie said with a tilt in her head, as though she were carrying a guilty conscience. "An' Ah can jump higher than ever before, an' this arm can stretch out, an'… an'… Ah dunno." She bowed her head in shame.

"Bunnie, what's wrong?" Sally put a paw on Bunnie's one warm shoulder.

The yellow rabbit looked up at her with a deep frown. "Is it bad fer me t'like this? Ah mean, if Ah never git mah old arm an' legs back, an' Ah was okay with that, would that be okay with you?"

Sally couldn't help but smile; all this time she was worried if Bunnie couldn't handle her new form. "Aw, Bunnie, is that all you're worried about? Are you scared of what the others might say?"

Bunnie nodded, still frowning.

"Bunnie, nobody has a right to say what's best for you, except you. If you like this form, you can keep it if you want."

Bunnie's one ear perked up, while the other remained curved downward like a bang of hair. "Ya mean that, Sally? You're really okay with it?"

"I'm okay with it if you are." She then gave Bunnie a hug that seemed warm enough to register to her cyber-legs.

"Good," sighed Bunnie softly. She then turned back to the mirror that stared back with her reflection, this time with a confident smile. "Then Ah'm keepin' it. From here on out, Ah'm gonna be known as Bunnie Rab-**bot**! …Or Cy-Bunnie. Whatcha think?"

"Uh," giggled Sally, "we'll work on that I guess."

The rab-bot nodded back, convinced fully that she was seen as beautiful- both inside, and out.

.

**END**


	43. Worst Argument Ever: Amy, Sally

**.**

"**WORST. ARGUMENT. EVER."**

**An Amy and Sally Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**.**

**CRASH! **-went the window that Sonic was flung through.

**POW! **–went a knuckle-bulged mitten as it missed its target and flew into a wall.

**SLAM! **–went the echidna as he was knocked onto the table, now split in half.

**BOOM! **–went the floor as Sonic and Knuckles' heads were banged together by Shadow.

**POKE!** –went shadow's eye seconds later by Sonic.

**CRUNCH** –went Sonic's groin after Shadow shoved his foot into it.

**CRACK!** –went Shadow's jaw as Knuckles put a fist to it.

**POW-POW!** First Sonic and Knuckles teamed up to thrust their elbows into Shadow, who then laid on his back winded, followed by the blue and red one punching each other's lights out.

It was only a matter of time before their petty argument would come to blows, but their onlookers were still shocked by it.

"How long have they been at this now?" asked Amy, as she and Sally sat on the couch nearby, both awestruck.

"About three hours," replied Sally as she checked the time on NICOLE's pocket computer.

"How did it start again?" blinked Amy.

"Uh… They were playing that Zelda game, 'Twilight Princess.'"

As Sonic struggled to rise to his knees, one eye shut from its wound, some teeth missing in his mouth, he muttered, "I'm tellin' ya… Midna… Is hotter than Zelda."

"Blasphemy," groaned Shadow, still lying motionless on the ground. "If Link and Midna were meant to be, then why are there no plans for her to return to the series?"

"She's the only girl in that series that ever flirted with Link! Zelda helps, yes, but does she ever bat a eye his way? …Plus she's dressed up like a guy before."

"You're both retarded," uttered Knuckles as he pulled himself up with his one good fist, the other clearly broken. "Zelda's unattainable, Midna is gone for good, and I'm pretty sure Link is gay."

"YOU LIE!" screamed the tattered hedgehogs. And just like that, the tussle continued.

**POW! SCRATCH! BITE! CRASH! BOOM! POP! SLAM!**

Sally and Amy bowed and shook their heads in shame.

"This is the stupidest argument ever," said Sally. "Those characters aren't even real."

"I know," agreed the pink hedgehog. "Some people just don't know when to grow up."

.

**END**


	44. Star Gazing: Sonic, Cream and Cheese

_Guess which game I've been playing lately._

-Snodin

**.**

"**STAR GAZING"**

**A Sonic and Cream Friendship Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by… somebody. Probably a lot of people.**

**.**

It was Sonic's turn to baby-sit Cream and Cheese that evening, while her mother Vanilla went out shopping. While she was still away, the sun has began to set, and the night faded into a deep blue with stars popping out of the sky's void. It was Cream who suggested they look at the stars from the roof of her house, and even though neither the hedgehog nor the bunny (or the Chao for that matter) knew any official constellations, they vowed to make the most of it.

So there they sat that evening, staring up at the stars as they began to fill the sky.

"…That one looks like a Chao," smiled Cream as she fingered up at a set of stars.

Sonic's eyes gazed elsewhere. "…That one looks like a chilidog."

"Ooo, I think I see the Big Dipper, Mister Sonic."

"Hmm… Nope. Chilidog."

"Chao, chao!"

"What's that, Cheese?"

"Chao!"

"…Oh, yes! I see it now. Look, Mister Sonic, at those stars right there. Don't they look like a flower, or a sun?"

"Lemmie see… Hmm… Nope, that's a-"

"Chilidog?"

"I was gonna say 'lion,' but if you see a chilidog, I'll go with that." He smiled.

"Heh-hehehee. You're so funny, Mister Sonic." Then Cream's mind wandered elsewhere. "Do you ever think of your Wisp friends?"

Sonic's eyes gleamed as they stared blankly at the sky. "Yeah, now that you've mentioned it… Hey, maybe one of those stars up there is one of their planets."

"Oh, I hope so. I'd like to see them someday. You think we'll ever visit those planets, Mister Sonic?"

"Maybe… Unless Cheese here is a little jealous."

Cheese crossed his arms in denial. "Chaaaao."

"No, Cheese never gets jealous," said Cream as she shook her head.

"I hope not," smiled Sonic, "'cause one of those planets was made entirely of food. You shoulda been there; there were loop-de-loops made of donuts, and mountains of cupcakes and cheeseburgers, and…"

…_**rrrrRRRRRrrrr…**_

Cream smiled, "Heh, sounds like somebody's hungry." With that, she pointed at Sonic's grumbling tummy.

Sonic made a face, "Well, it's not easy sitting for someone named Cream and Cheese."

_**GRRRRrrrrr!**_

"Shuddup," said Sonic to his stomach.

Cream giggled again before saying, "I can make us some sandwiches if you like."

"Okay, I'll stay here for a while."

As the bunny and Chao exited through a window, Sonic continued to stare up at the sky. And as he did so, he started to hum a little tune…

"_I'm gonna reach for the stars_

_Although they look pretty far…"_

.

**END**


	45. Man of the Year, Part Two: Eggman

_For those of you who are not in the know, there is a small cartoon featured in "Sonic Jam" for the SEGA Saturn called "Man of the Year." It ends on a cliffhanger; some speculate that the animation wasn't finished on time. So I've decided to make my own (official) ending for it. Enjoy._

_P.S., you can find the original short on mediums such as YouTube._

-Snodin

**.**

"**MAN OF THE YEAR- PART TWO!"**

**An Eggman/Robotnik Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Based on the short **_**"Man of the Year,"**_** in **_**"Sonic Jam"**_

**.**

"Boooooo! Boooooooooo!"

This was certainly not a sound that Sonic the Hedgehog was familiar with. But there he was, getting booed at by his own adoring fans. And for what? Just by showing up unannounced? It made no sense to him at all.

But it turned out, unbeknownst to him, an imposter was to blame. That afternoon, while the real Sonic was running around town, a bigger, fatter version of him was jetting down the streets on rocket-boosted rollerblades. It was Eggman, dressed in a cheap Sonic suit.

The roly-poly villain stood atop a building and laughed with joy as his arch nemesis was getting shunned. Oh, the irony! The madness! The sweet taste of revenge, how it tingled on his tongue! "At last," he thought to himself as he started to kick up his heels; "I've finally beaten him! Ha-HA! Hahahahaha-"

"Sonic! I've finally found you!"

"Huh?" gasped Eggman in the hedgehog suit. Before he knew it, a small pink hedgehog with a green blouse and bright orange skirt tackled him and fastened herself to his arm.

"You can't get away from me, Sonikuu," chirped young Amy Rose. "This time you're all mine!"

"Waa! Get away from me!" winced Eggman as he tried to shake her off, but the darned fangirl just wouldn't budge. She was like rubber cement mixed with super glue on Velcro!

"You still need to take me on a date," insisted the disillusioned pink she-hog.

At that point, Eggman was ready to pull off his suit and reveal his true identity to her, but then he remembered that the real Sonic- as well as all of the people he pestered earlier- were still lingering in the distance. To drop his guise now could have proven catastrophic, but before he could argue the notion, gravity seemed to make the decision for him. With one jerk to the far left in an attempt to shake off Amy, Eggman lost his footing on the rooftop's ledge. Down fell he and the fangirl; "YAAAAHHHH!"

**PLOP!**

A cloud of dust quickly followed the crash landing, as Eggman's girth caused a small pothole in the pavement. Luckily for little Amy, she bounced off of his belly as though it were rubber, and landed safely on his back. Eggman, however, was indeed pained. Yet he still managed to keep the Sonic suit on.

The audience gasped, as their attention immediately switched from the small blue hedgehog they were yelling at to the huge one in the crater right behind them. Sonic was especially stunned;_ two_ blue hedgehogs?

"Uuuughh…" moaned Eggman as his face came into view after the dust cloud cleared; his gassed were shattered, his beard not-so-carefully hidden now poofed and dirty.

"Hey," pointed out one of the human spectators, "that's the same guy!"

"Yeah," nodded the man whose car Eggman flattened earlier.

"Yeah!" replied the children whose faces he scribbled on.

Same guy? Yeah right, thought the real Sonic. He approached the faker with a knowing glare in his eyes, before painfully yanking off the Sonic mask. "Yow!" yelped Eggman.

"It's… Doctor Eggman!" gasped the stunned audience.

"Eggman?" gasped Amy, who was still sitting on top of him. "Eww, yuck!" And with that, she jumped off and ran away.

While still cramped up in his crater in the ground, Eggman gazed up at the furious eyes of one blue hedgehog and a crowd of humans that were ready to pounce on him. All he could do at that moment was smile as stupidly as possible. "Eh… eh-heheheheheh… April Fools?"

"It's January," muttered Sonic.

"Get 'im!"

"WAAH!" Eggman jumped quickly enough on his feet, but his rollerblades didn't activate on time, as the crowd started to rush him. But then, with a click of his heels, they exploded in a fiery takeoff. The blue-clad scientist then ricocheted off of one wall after another before his rocket skates finally sped him clear out of sight.

Now that order was restored, Sonic was lifted up over the crowd, though some of them were still face-scribbled and dazed from Eggman's shenanigans, and they carried him off like a champion back to the town square to rename him Man of the Year.

Although, Sonic couldn't help but think that he couldn't take all of the credit that day; something told him that he would have to owe a certain someone a date.

.

**END**

"**Man of the year," muttered Eggman. "He's not even a man; he's a hedgehog!"**

**I SAID "THE END!"**

"**Ugh… fine."**


	46. Remember The Barrel: Sonic and Tails

_I'm an official author now. Yayz! Check out my profile to find out how to get my first novel, _"Sun Child!"

_Three cheers for self-promotions!_

-Snodin

**.**

"**REMEMBER THE BARREL"**

**A Sonic and Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**.**

**Sonic Adventure**

What was once a beautiful city was now ravaged by earthquakes and massive tidal waves; all the work of a godlike creature called Perfect Chaos.

As Sonic and his friends looked on from a safe standpoint, the hedgehog couldn't help but shiver in his feet. The beast, made almost entirely of water, had a long dragonic snout whose lips surpassed its slimy green eyes. Its squid-like tentacles were powerful enough to swat Eggman's airship out of the sky as though it were an insect. Its roar was so piercing, it was a miracle that Sonic and company still had ears to hear with.

He couldn't remember the last time since he had faced a challenge so great, so unforgiving, so impossible to defeat. "My god," he muttered as he started to panic. "This… this is unbelievable. He just leveled a city… A whole city!"

"Sonic?" peeped Tails worriedly.

"I can't believe what I just saw! Not even Eggman could stop it. And he even absorbed the chaos emeralds' energy!"

"Sonic, stay cool dude! We can still use-"

"IT'S NO USE! WE'RE DONE FOR! WE'RE FINISHED! GAM OVER, MAN, GAME OVER! GOODBYE, CRUEL WORLD!"

"SONIC!" Tails ran to him and grabbed the hedgehog by his shoulders, shaking him widly. "Sonic, look at me! Look at me, bro!" Sonic paused just long enough to hear Tails mutter some very wise words: "Remember the barrel!"

Sonic's green eyes glazed as his mind traveled back in time. "…the…barrel…"

.

**(Sonic 3 and Knuckles- Carnival night Zone)**

"_OH MY GOD! IT'S USELESS! No matter how many times I jump, it just won't budge! Ah-haw-haw, we're finished, Tails! We're finished!"_

"_Dude, Sonic, relax! Look, it's easy: just move up… and down… Up… and down…"_

"_Up… and down… up… and… Hey. Hey! It's working! Ha! Hahahahaha! That was easy!"_

.

"…You're right, Tails. Thanks, buddy."

Now that his focused was regained, Sonic was ready to jump into battle with Perfect Chaos. Needless to say, he would be victorious.

So remember, kids: No matter how impossible life seems to be at times…

Always remember The Barrel.

.

**END**


	47. Forget Rouge: Knuckles vs Rouge

_I've been itching to do a this song-fic for a while now, but I hadn't gotten a plot for it until now. _

_I have nothing against Knuxouge or Shadouge, but let's face it: her one and only love is riches. ^^_

"**FORGET ROUGE!"**

**A Knuckles vs. Rouge Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

Song _"Forget You!" _written by Cee-Lo Green

.

On what would have been a normal day in the city, Knuckles the Echidna was walking down the street, where Sonic, his sister Sonya and his stalker Amy were sitting on stools outside an ice cream store, eating ice cream. The echidna had a sudden sweet tooth and ordered himself a chocolate scoop with a cone.

When suddenly, without warning, a black convertible stopped at the red light. Knuckles and company were taken by surprise to see that the driver was Shadow the Hedgehog, and his passenger was Knuckles' ex, Rouge the Bat.

(Begin song)

Knuckles' eyes twitched and his teeth gnashed at the sight of his former love parading with her new boyfriend. So overcome was he by anger and resentment… that he started to sing!

"_I see you drivin' 'round town with the girl I love,_

_I'm like, 'Forget you!'" ("Oo-oo-oo!")_

"_I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough,_

_I'm like, 'Forget you and forget her too!'_

Knuckles was then backed up by the hedgehog trio of Amy, Sonya and Sonic (in that order); if they were trying to get Shadow and Rouge's attention, this did it.

"_See if I was richer, I'd still be wit'cha. ("Aah, aah, aah!")_

_Heh. Now ain't that some sh-! ("Ain't that some sh-!")_

_And although there's pain in my chest, I still wish you the best,_

_With a 'Forget you!'" ("Aah, aah, ahh! Oo-oo-oo!")_

As Knuckles approached his quarry, who were still at a red light, he held onto his chocolate ice cream cone as though it were a microphone. The duo in the car were as stunned as they should have been; even more so as the hedgehog backup singers were swaying and do-wopping like an old Motown group.

"_Yeah, I'm sorry I can't afford a Ferrari,_

_But that don't mean I can't get you there._

_I guess she's an X-Box, and I'm more an Atari,_

_But the way you play your game ain't fair._

"_Now, I pity the foo-ool, who falls in love with you, uh-huh."_

_("Oh, son, she's a gold-digger. Just thought you should know, jigga.")_

"_Oo-oo, I got some news for you. Uh._

_Yeah, go on and run, tell yer lil' boyfriend!"_

The light turned green, causing Shadow to burn rubber as Knuckles screamed his last lyrics at them. But the song was far from over, as it carried on for both Rouge and Knuckles from their respected scenes.

.

"_See you drivin' 'round town with the girl I love,_

_I'm like, 'Forget you!'" ("Oo-oo-oo!")_

"_I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough,_

_I'm like, 'Forget you and forget her too!'_

"_See if I was richer, I'd still be wit'cha. ("Aah, aah, aah!")_

_Heh. Now ain't that some sh-! ("Ain't that some sh-!")_

_And although there's pain in my chest, I still wish you the best,_

_With a 'Forget you!'" ("Aah, aah, ahh! Oo-oo-oo!")_

Shadow tried to get what just happened out of his mind, when he car sped by a robbery in progress. Rouge's eyes caught sight of Nack the Weasel running down the street, carrying a large bag of loot. Intrigued, she fluttered her wings and exited the car in flight, leaving a bewildered Shadow behind.

Rouge grabbed ahold of Nack and flew him away from the charging cops; gold coins and small jewels spewed from the sack as they flew off.

.

"_Now I know I had to borrow,_

_Beg n' steal n' lie n' cheat,_

_Tryin' to keep ya, tryin' to please ya,_

'_Cause bein' in love with yer $$ ain't cheap!_

"_Now, I pity the foo-ool that falls in love with you, uh-huh."_

_("Oh son, she's a gold-digger. Just thought you should know, jigga.")_

"_Oo-oo-oo, I get some new for you…_

_Oo! I really hate yer $$ right now."_

Going back to Knuckles and his do-wop group, a flashback took place as Knuckles recalled his own time with the sneaky Rouge:

Flashing back to "Sonic 3," we see Knuckles pummel through the ground and under Sonic's feet, stunning him as he releases the seven Chaos Emeralds. Knuckles snatches them up, one by one, and takes off while a bewildered Sonic looks on.

But things change, as Knuckles skids to a halt in front of Rouge, holding out the emeralds as if his intention all along was to bribe her with them. Much to his shock, he catches Rouge trying to steal his Master Emerald! Clearly, small jewels just weren't going to cut it.

In his outrage, Knuckles tried to grab the Master Emerald from her, and a small tug-of-war bout ensued. In desperation, Knuckles slammed his fist into the great gem, smashing it to pieces and making Rouge take off in flight.

Flashing back to the present, Knuckles palms his head in shame while Sonic- who still resents getting knocked out in the flashback- stares down the echidna while saying the last lyric for himself.

.

"_See you drivin' 'round town with the girl I love,_

_I'm like, 'Forget you!'" ("Oo-oo-oo!")_

"_I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough,_

_I'm like, 'Forget you and forget her too!'_

"_See if I was richer, I'd still be wit'cha. ("Aah, aah, aah!")_

_Heh. Now ain't that some sh-! ("Ain't that some sh-!")_

_And although there's pain in my chest, I still wish you the best,_

_With a 'Forget you!'" ("Aah, aah, ahh! Oo-oo-oo!")_

Meanwhile, Nack and Rouge are getting away in his blue motorbike, while the scheming bat counts money and wearing pearl necklaces, gold earrings and a tiara. A flash in the sky catches Rouge's eye; it's Silver the Hedgehog, flying overhead during an unknown mission from the future. Rouge can't help but notice that he's holding a Time Stone in his hands as he just passes by.

As Nack pulls to a stop to look back on his new accomplice, she's gone! And so is the loot! He looks around anxiously, and sees that she's used her pearl necklace as a lasso to snag Silver. The tie-off catches his boot, and she's off like a shot into the vortex of time with him. Poor Nack can only watch and shake an angry fist while mouthing, "Forget you!"

.

"_Now baby-baby-baby, why you wanna-wanna hurt me so bad?"_

_("So bad, so bad, so bad?")_

"_I tried to tell my Momma, but she told me 'This is one for yer Dad.' Yes she did."_

_("Your dad, your dad, your dad!")_

"_And I was like, ("Uh!") 'Why?' ("Uh!") 'Why!' ("Uh!") 'WHY, lady?'_

_("Aw!") I love you! ("Oh!") I still love you!_

_Ooooh!"_

Knuckles and his group are really getting into the music by striking dramatic poses during the interlude, while Silver and Rouge start tug-o-warring over the Time Stone. Eventually, Rouge pulls it from Silver's grip and literally disappears with it, leaving Silver stranded in the present era.

Knuckles drops to his knees in a pitiful angst-filled lyric, while his hedgehog friends try to carry him away, thinking he's finally lost it. Meanwhile, Shadow and Nack walk back to the ice cream shop, both steamed for having been abandoned by the bat-girl.

.

"_I see you drivin' 'round town with the girl I love,_

_I'm like, 'Forget you!'" ("Oo-oo-oo!")_

"_I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough,_

_I'm like, 'Forget you and forget her too!'_

"_See if I was richer, I'd still be witcha. ("Aah, aah, aah!")_

_Heh. Now ain't that some sh-! ("Ain't that some sh-!")_

_And although there's pain in my chest, I still wish you the best,_

_With a 'Forget you!'" ("Aah, aah, ahh! Oo-oo-oo!")_

Knuckles regains his composure just in time for his final chorus, as Rouge zips into the scene with a pile of gold and an open treasure chest- Lord knows which era in tiem she snagged all those riches, but she's clearly looking like a queen now. However, her joy is short-lived as she faces four jilted men: Knuckles, Shadow, Nack, and now Silver who storms in unannounced.

Rouge bashfully blushes and smiles as she waves to them, thinking she can charm her way out of this, but then Silver steals back his Time Stone and sends her to next week, where she's doing time in jail. She does manage to keep her tiara… for a little while, before her cellmate Bean the Dynamite snatches it from her.

"Forget you," she mouths to him, as she sighs and mopes in defeat.

.

**END**


	48. Mother's Day: Amy

"**MOTHER'S DAY"**

**An Amy Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

**Somewhere in the near future…**

"GAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

The whole hospital was in awe at the ear-bursting screams coming from one of its delivery rooms. They were the screams of an adult Amy Rose, during her latest labor pain.

"WHERE THE PANCAKE-FLIPPIN' DEWDROP IS THE DOCTOR WITH MY EPIDURAL!

Poor twenty-something Sonic could only cringe in the farthest corner of the room. "Uhh… uhhh… He- He said he'd be here in just another minute, Amy."

"I'LL BE SPLIT IN TWO PLACES IN ANOTHER MINU- **GAAAAAAAAAHHH!**"

Sonic dashed over to the monitor by Amy's bedside and read the latest roll of paper that had recorded her contractions. "…Woah, that was a big one."

"No, really? I cold have sworn I felt that last one," growled Amy through her teeth.

"You need something, Am's? Hot water, maybe?"

"I'm burning up, Sonic."

"But all those movies and TV shows say you need hot water to birth babies."

"Sonic, you're such a stupid…. Oh no…"

"Oh no?" gasped a panicked Sonic as his ears pulled back. "What's 'Oh no?'"

"Oh no… I feel another one coming." Amy clutched onto her pillow.

Sonic glanced over at the monitor, and his eyes bulged. "Ooooh, here comes a big one. Hit the deck!" With that, he jumped under Amy's bed as another ear-splitting scream rang throughout the hospital.

After a few minutes, the laboring pink hedgehog started to break into a sweat and panted weakly. "Where… Where are they? They should have been here by now."

Sonic peeked out from his hiding place and replied softly, "Tails said he was gonna bring them over. It's past five, so they may be in traffic."

"Why didn't he get the hamburger-flipping plane like he did as a kid?"

"…You know Am's, if it feels any better you can use real curse words."

"No… I wanna stay classy, especially if it's my voice these little ones are gonna hear first."

"Well, it might just make you feel better. Go on, give it a try.

Amy paused in deep thought for a moment…

.

The following dialogue has been edited out due to the extreme explicit language.

.

Ten hours had passed since Amy's first contractions, and by the time the doctor had finally arrived with her Epidural, she was flinging her Piko-Piko Hammer at her blue companion. Thankfully, no one was injured at the time… except for perhaps the walls.

.

Finally, on the eleventh hour, Amy's pains were at rest, but now it was time to push. Sonic had been prepared for this moment, but decided to sit in the far back while the doctor and nurses huddled around Amy.

"Alright Miss Rose, whenever you're ready… Push."

Amy's muscles locked on tight as her cheeks were filled with air.

"Push, push, push," said the nurse on her left.

"You're doing great, Amy, now breathe."

Amy took a great gasp of air before tilting her head backward. "I… I can't do it… I can't push anymore…"

"Come on Amy, you can do it!" coached Sonic in the background. "I know you can do it, you're a fighter. You've beaten all kinds of odds before."

"Shut up, Sonic, just shut up! You have no idea what this feels like."

"Remember Perfect Chaos? Remember the Bio-Lizard? Remember The Barrel?"

"I WASN'T THERE AT THE (explicit edited) BARREL!"

"….Oh yeah, I forgot… Oh! Remember when Metal Sonic captured you and I saved you? ….Oh, you didn't have to fight back then."

"GET THAT STUPID BLUE BALL OF SPIKES OUT OF HERE!"

"Everything's alright Ms. Rose," said the doctor calmly. "One more push is all we need."

Amy's eyes welled with tears. "I can't… I'm sorry, I just can't…"

Just then, the door opened up, and in came three familiar faces: Tails, Bunnie and Antoine.

Amy's eyes blinked in wonder. "oh….you made it…!"

"Sorry we're late," said a teenaged Tails, rubbing his nose shyly. "We got caught in traffic; I probably should've just flown the plane."

Bunnie then walked up to Amy and with both her fuzzy and metal hands she clutched onto Amy's. "How're we doin', sugar?"

"Oh Bunnie… I'm trying so hard to push, but… I'm all used up. I'm so sorry."

The cyborg rabbit gazed into her eyes warmly. "You can do it, girl. Please… Do it fer me." And with that, she gave Am a wink.

Now with the motivation she was hoping for, Amy's breaths started to pick up again. "Okay… One more. Here we go."

"Alright, Ms. Rose, one three. One… Two… Three! Push, push, push, push!"

There was a moment of silence, but then…

"_Waaaaahhhhh Waaaaaaaahhhh!"_

"Twins!" cheered the doctor. "We have twins!"

The nurses hurried to cradle the baby rabbit and baby coyote before rushing them to the table setup nearby where they would be washed and dried.

Meanwhile, Amy was surrounded by her closest friends, Sonic and Tails, as well as the ever grateful Bunnie and Antoine.

"Am's, you did great," smiled Sonic proudly.

"Yeah, we're all totally proud of you," nodded Tails.

Antoine kissed the pink she-hog on the forehead. "I cannot thank you enough for being our surrogate, Amy."

"Aw, what're friends for?" Amy smiled weakly. "…Hey, I hear them crying. You better go say hi to your new kids."

"Ah, oui-oui."

Antoine was eager to greet the newborns, but Bunnie stayed by Amy's side, giving her a big warm hug. As she did so, tears were falling from her eyes.

"I… I really can't thank you enough fer this, Amy. I can't…"

"It's okay, Bunnie. I know if it were the other way around, you'd do the same for me."

After a small pause, Sonic cleared his throat and said, "Well, I better go tell everybody the great news. Catcha later." And he was gone in a blue flash.

Amy then shook Bunnie's metal paw and smiled, "Happy Mother's Day."

The cyber-rabbot smiled back. "Same to you."

.

**END**


	49. Countdown: Sonic

_Ever wonder what goes on in Sonic's head while he's drowning? …..Me neither, but I thought this was an interesting idea._

"**COUNTDOWN"**

**A Sonic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

I'm stuck in Labyrinth Zone. Again.

Can't find that dang air bubble I need, and I can already feel my lungs straining. God, it hurts. Why does it hurt this much? I hate it; it's the worst feeling in the world. This must be what Hell feels like, if there is a Hell.

_5…_

Damnit, now I'm in trouble. Where's that bubble when you really need it?

_4…_

Oh, god… not here… not now… This is NOT how I want to go!

_3…_

…I should have been nicer to Tails. He's the only family I really have, and I know his feelings were hurt when I told him to get lost. I only meant for him to stay safe at home, but I saw the hurt in his eyes. He just wants to help… but he's still just a kid.

I wonder if I should have been nicer to Amy too, now that I think about it. Sure, she's a crazy-psycho fan, but at least she's helpful at times.

God, what I wouldn't give for an air bubble right now. ….Or at the very least, one last chilidog.

_2…_

I can hear my mother's voice right now: "Son, you should have taken those swimming lessons like I told you to!" Yeah, Mom, you were right. You were always right.

I should have listened to my parents more, when they were around. I probably should have stayed home more often too… I would have, had I known my time with my family would be so short. I can only hope that they knew how much they meant to me.

Sheesh, there are so many things I'm regretting right now- most of all, the lack of swimming lessons. I guess this is what life is all about though: looking back on it, and realizing you could have done so much more. Even I, a super-fast hedgehog, could have done more. It's only now, in the end, that I seem to realize all of this.

Well… maybe in the next life, I can make up for it all.

_1…_

...If there is such a thing.

**0.**


	50. GENESIS: Sonic

_Okay, this is it: my FIFTIETH Sonic Drabble!_

_What better way to mark Drabble #50 than a Sonic prequel? Seriously, this has been wrapping around my brain for months now, but I wanted to hold out until the time was right. Now, that time has finally come. This is my personal interpretation of Sonic's beginnings._

_And if you like it, I may just feel compelled to make it a full fic, with an even bigger plot, one worthy of the original games. And if not, then… Hell, I might just do it anyway. But seriously, there's no better way for me to do this 50__th__ Drabble without making it something BIG. _

_So… Here we go._

"**GENESIS"**

**A Sonic Drabble (Prequel to Sonic 1?)**

**By Snodin**

.

_Metropolis Zone, 15 Years Earlier…_

Humans and Animals alike were invited to witness the unveiling of a new invention by up-and-coming scientist, Dr. Eggman. He had promised all of the media- from television news channels to newspapers- that this new invention would revolutionize the way people would live. So big were these promises, that even the humblest of creatures were gathering at the doctor's main laboratory center.

Even hedgehogs.

One such hedgehog couple was squirming through the crowd of other fuzzy creatures, both new to the city and to human colonization altogether. For they came all the way from Green Hill Zone, one of the last few places on the planet still lush and forested where people farmed and sowed, rather than shopped and financed. Both were brown-furred, big-eyed, and full of wonder yet careful not to be overly excited… especially since the female was carrying her infant son, wrapped in a warm white blanket in her arms.

"Sweetheart, are you sure we should be here?" she purred to her husband. "After all, this seems more like a human thing; no reason for us to be here."

"Darling," said the male hedgehog, "the doctor said this was going to help everybody, and that means us too."

"I just think this is a little too much excitement for our little Junior."

"Nonsense; he's fine," smiled the father, as he looked down to his sleepy little progeny. The tiny hedge-hoglet's brown quills were brushed down almost like a second blanket as he squirmed only slightly in his mother's arms. "He'll probably sleep through the whole ceremony," his father assured.

By the time the young couple finally made it into the lab, the place was jam-packed. Humans and animal-folk alike were stepping over each other and shoving their way to get a perfect view of the stage set up in the auditorium. It was so congestive, especially in the far back, that the young she-hog mother had to loosen her grip on her baby just to breathe. This would cause him to eventually slip out of her hands- only she wouldn't notice, since her hands were already cramped from the lack of space.

The baby, tucked into a ball, hit the ground rather softly. He wriggled out of his blanket with big dark gleaming eyes. He wasn't the slightest bit afraid; rather curious as a cat, as he started to waddle away from his parents.

At last, it was Eggman's moment to shine; after decades of meager work for his company, he was about to unveil his greatest invention yet. A hush fell over the crowd as the lights fell dim and an announcer said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Eggman Enterprises. And now, here he is, the man of the hour: Doctor Ivo Kintobar-Eggman!"

Out onto the stage marched a very round human with a small mustache and even smaller eyes, covered by dark glasses. The crowd clapped for him, but in an act of modesty he raised his hands to hush them.

"Friends and fellow Mobians," he smiled ever proudly, "for countless generations, we have relied far too heavily on fossil fuels. Oil and coal are becoming increasingly harder to find, and what's worse, our environment is paying the ultimate price for our greed… But here, in this very laboratory, I- Doctor Eggman-" he muttered gingerly, just so that his name stuck in their ears- "have created a new form of energy- one that will pave the way to a new era in our technology!"

Two humans, both thin as poles, came out rolling a giant veiled cylinder, making the audience gasp. It was here, at this moment, when at last the hedgehog mother looked down at her arms and spattered, "Junior! Where's Junior?"

"I- I thought you had him," gulped her husband.

"No, I thought you had him!" she gasped in horror. "Oh no… Junior!" Her cries would fall on deaf ears, but she and her husband started to search frantically for their baby anyway.

As the little brown hedge-hoglet started to squirm his way through the crowd and toward the center stage, Eggman was still yammering on: "This is a perfect fusion of electricity and metal, made with both pure gold and a special element, which I myself have invented. I would of course tell you exactly how I did it, but it is a secret which I vow to take to my grave! ….Okay, I discovered it on accident. Sue me." This earned a laugh from the audience. He then grasped onto the cloth encasing the giant cylinder and bellowed, "And now, for the moment you have all been waiting for: My invention!"

He lifted the veil, and the audience gasped.

The cylinder, as it turned out, was just a glass vase; inside it hovered a mystical-glowing ring, one about the size of an average hoola-hoop. "I call it the Power Ring," grinned Eggman proudly. His audience gazed at it, as it gave off a few electrical charges as it hovered weightlessly within its glass containment. "Now," added Eggman, "let me say that this is only a prototype, and that it is still being tested for its safety. But I can at least do this!" With that, he pushed a button on the case, and the glass of the cylinder faded away.

The audience then hummed and gasped, as through scared. "Please! Remain calm, everyone," assured the scientist; "this is perfectly safe. The glass casing was only to make sure no one touched it on its way to the stage."

But something else was headed for the stage; a small brown hedge-hoglet.

"We still don't know just how powerful this ring is, or how its energy can be converted into a form of battery; but rest assured, my fellow citizens, once all of our testing is complete, we will make smaller, much more stable Power Rings, and plug them into every machine in the world. Then, we won't ever have to worry about energy crises again!"

With his speech officially over, Dr. Eggman struck a pose next to his hovering ring, as the audience immediately began to cheer and snap pictures.

While everyone else was blissfully ignorant, the little brown hedge-hoglet had climbed his way onto the stage. With all of the bright flashing lights and people waving their microphones and news cameras at Eggman, he really couldn't be blamed for what happened next.

"Junior? …Junior, come to mommy! Jun… Ohmigosh, LOOK!" screamed the female hedgehog, as she and her husband were the first to see where Junior has snuck off to. By the time they found their way to the stage, it was far too late.

The youngster was drawn in by the glow of the golden Power Ring, like a moth to a flame. He had been this whole time. As soon as he was able to, he reached forward with his gloved hands eagerly grasping for it. "Pwetty," he cooed. And then, he touched it.

_**ZA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-P!**_

"JUNIOR! NO!"

"OH GOD, MY SON!"

"MY INVENTION!"

It all happened so fast: a flash of light, screams, and then a great puff of smoke. Then, a moment of dead silence.

"Oh God, my baby," cried out the female hedgehog as she climbed onto the stage as both Eggman and the audience stood stunned. She knelt down at what appeared to be her son, dead on the floor, next to the Power Ring which was now out of power and also lying "dead" on the floor. Then, as the smoke lifted, she noticed a strange change: her son's fur was now blue! But that was second to the fact that he was now dead… or so it seemed.

As she picked him up into her arms, she glared furiously at Eggman. "What… have you done?"

"…What I… What I'VE done?" replied Eggman in equal fury. "What has HE done!"

"Your Ring just killed m baby."

"He shouldn't have grabbed it; that was pure energy and now it's all gone! Wasted! There's nothing left to study!"

"I don't care about you and your stupid invention!" wailed the young mother as tears filled her big green eyes. "All I care about is my-"

_**Zap.**_

"…Junior?" she gaped, looking down as the small static shock frizzed both her and her baby. All at once, his eyes fluttered open, while a small lightning bolt brushed through his deep blue quills.

"….Mama?"

"Oh, Junior! Thank Heaven you're alright!"

"Mm-yes, as long as_ he's_ alright," muttered Eggman as his eyes rolled behind his dark glasses.

"Let me look at you," sighed the she-hog, now joined by her husband on stage, as she plopped her son on the floor. "Why, bless my soul- your fur! It's blue!"

"How did that happen?" mused the husband. As he asked this, he reached out to touch his son, but the youngster stepped a few inches back. And he did it with lightning speed. "What the?" gasped his father.

The easily amused youngster saw this, and smiled. He then started to waddle around the stage in figure-eights, but with such a great pace he was like a blur to the audience. Again, cameras started to flash as the onlookers realized that they had just witnessed a miracle.

Unfortunately, Eggman saw that miracle too. With a newfound look of wonder behind his glasses, he brushed his chin methodically; "Interesting..." he whispered. Then he spoke up, "He must have somehow absorbed all of the Power Ring's energy! But how? I… I must study him!"

As the scientist dared to reach out and grab the hedge-hoglet, his mother scooped him right up. "How dare you!" she gasped, still furious with Eggman.

"Please!" begged the doctor, "I must bring him upstairs to my lab and see what this power is doing to him! Oh, think of what secrets we can unlock with this…"

"You're not taking my son," said the male hedgehog with a defiant glare in his eyes.

"He's just a baby," added his wife.

"Baby or not, he's a vessel for my energy!" insisted the impatient scientist. He then summoned his two human lackeys with a snap of his fingers. "Scratchy! Groundling! Take him to my lab!"

"No!" screamed the she-hog, as she let go of her son. "Junior, run! Run, baby! Run back home! Don't look back, just _run_!"

Run. Somehow the infant knew that word, and he started running blurry circles around the human scientists before making a blue dash over the heads of the awed crowd. He would indeed find his way back home…

But he wasn't done running. Not by a long shot.

.

**The Beginning.**


	51. Only in Fairy Tails: Sonic and Tails

_I'm punny. ^_^_

"**ONLY IN FAIRY TAILS"**

**A Sonic and Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

Excerpt from_ The Gingerbread Man, _an 1875 Saint Nicholas Magazine Tale

"…_Then the mowers began to run after him, but they couldn't catch him. And he ran on till he came to a cow. He called out to her:_

_I've run away from a little old woman,_

_A little old man,_

_A barn full of threshers,_

_A field full of mowers,_

_And I can run away from you, I can!_

_But, though the cow started at once, she couldn't catch him. And soon he came to a horse. He called out to the horse:_

_I've run away from a little old woman,_

_A little old man,_

_A barn full of threshers,_

_A field full of mowers,_

_A cow,_

_And I can run away from you, I can!_

_But the horse ran, and couldn't catch him. And he ran till he came across a fox, and to him he called out:_

_I've run away from a little old woman,_

_A little old man,_

_A barn full of threshers,_

_A field full of mowers,_

_A cow and a horse,_

_And I can run away from you, I can!_

_Then the fox set out to run. Now foxes can run very fast, and so the fox soon caught the gingerbread boy and…"_

.

Sonic had to stop reading at that point; the squint in his left eye said it all: horror, pure unadulterated horror.

He looked at the gingerbread character, whom he had identified with at this point.

Then he glanced at the fox, which was now devouring said character.

Then he looked to Tails, lying in bed patiently waiting for the rest of the story.

He looked back to the fictional fox.

Then back at Tails.

Then back at the book.

Then back at Tails.

Then back to the book.

"Well?" asked the youngster, "What happens next, Sonic?"

The hedgehog took a deep gulp before saying, "…Y-you know what, buddy? This book is really boring. Let's read something else."

"Aw, but I wanna know how it-"

"WE'RE READING SOMETHING ELSE!"

"…..fine."

Sonic scrambled frantically for another book on the bookshelf nearby and pulled out a pink one. He then read the cover:

"'_The Steadfast Tin Soldier.' _…Hmm. This one should end well."

.

**End.**


	52. Liar Liar, Quills on Fire: Silver

_It's true. Hedgehogs really do "anoint" themselves. Though it's possible they do it to make their quills toxic to predators… unless they're real kleptomaniacs. Then it's just creepy._

"**LIAR, LIAR, QUILLS ON FIRE"**

**A Silver Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Set in the Archie Comics universe**

.

Somewhere, at least 200 years in the future…

It was a quiet day in the ruined city, perfect for an aged Mammoth Mogul to relax and enjoy a bowl of soup with his young protégé Silver to keep him company. The old one was blind, possibly a result of a past battle, or perhaps he had over-estimated his own powers. Whatever the cause, he was left to rely on his senses of smell and psychic telepathy to guide him through the rest of his pitiful life. …and then of course, there was Silver, who every once in a while gave the old man a bit of entertainment.

The old one was terribly bored that day, and so he took some time to think very deeply, to the point when Silver thought he had fallen asleep. And then, without warning, the ancient mammoth spoke:

"I say, Silver my lad… I've heard strange things about you hedgehogs."

"Huh? S-strange things, sir?"

"Yes, you are a quirky little bunch, they say."

"Quirky? Like how?"

"Well… There's this thing called 'anointment.' Do you know of it, lad?"

"An ointment? What ointment?"

"No, no; _anointment_. They say that when you hedgehogs see and smell something that you like very much, you start to lick it until the saliva becomes like a paste, then you use that paste to stick an object or fluid onto your back and quills. They call it anointment."

"Oh…"

"…Well?"

"Well what, Master?"

"Is it true, lad? Do you really anoint yourself?"

Silver paused, long enough to stare blankly at all of the small beads, jewels, pebbles, leaves, stamps, cotton balls, cat fur, buttons, toilet paper shells, flowers, shards of glittery glass, paperclips (he had a thing for shininess), trading cards and a whole line of blue Christmas tree tinsel that wrapped around his bangs.

For once, he was glad that the old one was blind "Master, that is a dirty and hurtful lie, and I will hunt the ends of the earth to find whoever started that nasty rumor and give him one for hedgehogs everywhere!"

"…..Oh. Well, I just thought I'd ask."

"_Whew_… Okay then."

"By the way, that tinsel looks good on you. I'd go with gold myself."

Then he remembered the old one was psychic. "Crap."

.

**End.**


	53. What'd They Say?: Sonic, Eggman

_Ever wonder what Sonic and Eggman said to each other during that cut scene? Here's one theory…_

.

"**WHAT'D THEY SAY?"**

**A Sonic and Eggman Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**From **_**"Sonic 4"**_**'s Cut Scene**

.

Splash Hill Zone, sunset.

Eggman looked truly pitiful, flying in a busted up ship whose parts were starting to fall off while it dragged dust and ash. Sonic was actually doing him a favor by not hitting top speed as he pursued the mad doctor to the edge of the island.

Sonic came to a halt at the cliff, yelling, "Give it up, Egghead!"

The ash-covered doc turned his wobbly Egg Carrier around. "Never! I'll _never _surrender to you, miserable little hedgehog!"

Sonic sighed, "Look, I already trashed all your 'bots, AND took out your new base. There's nowhere left for you to run."

"We'll see about that! Hee-hee-hee-hee!" Eggman used up the last of his carrier's energy to launch him straight up, into the stratosphere where his new space lab was waiting. "Hahahahahaha! There's no way he can get me now! He'd have to pull a rocket out of his butt to reach…"

**VrooooooooooOOOOM!**

Eggman glanced behind him to see where that strange sound was coming from. Sure enough, there was Sonic riding a Tails-built mini rocket.

"…I'll be darned," frowned the mad doc.

.

**End?**


	54. Glutton For Punishment: Sonic, Eggman

_I decided to do a follow-up to the last Drabble; this is a way to get something done while I still work on the latest level of _"Sonic Warriors." _…By the way, sorry for the delay of which._

.

"**GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT"**

**A Sonic and Eggman Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**From **_**"Sonic 4"**_**'**

.

**E.G.G. Station.**

"A Boss rush? Really?" sighed Sonic, after trashing the newly rebuilt ball-and-chain mechanism of Eggman's Splash Hill Boss Bot. "Egghead really needs to come up with newer ideas; this is already getting old."

He spun into a pipeline that took him to a higher level of the space station, where he ran into a closing trap door. He was then walled into the room, with a spike pit on the floor and pinball bouncers on the walls. "Oh," smiled Sonic, "I get it: Casino Street, Part Deuce."

"Hohohohoho!" laughed Eggman, as he came floating downward toward Sonic in his literally patched-up Egg Carrier with its electric grabbers. "You may have bested me in Casino Street Zone, Sonic, but THIS time you won't get away so easily!"

Sonic tapped his foot. "How did you get that thing rebuilt so quickly? Didn't I trash it just an hour ago?"

"Oh, hohoho! Are you admiring my handy work? I'm flattered, hedgehog. Yes, my superior building skills are just what the doctor ordered."

"…Is that duct tape?"

"SHUDDUP! Face your end now, you filthy little rodent!"

"Insectivore. But whatevs."

Two seconds later, and the boss bot was destroyed… again. "Curse you, hedgehog!" screamed the beaten mad doctor as his carrier wobbled its way upward.

Sonic yawned, waiting for the trap door to open, and he was gone in a flash again.

In the next level, Sonic was trapped once again in a small room, this one designed to copy the wall traps of Lost Labyrinth Zone. Sonic knew the drill: Wait for the columns to start moving, then jump to the shortest one, then let them box him in with Eggman. Really, this was like a suicide run; why would Eggman allow himself to get boxed in with his arch nemesis?

"Yeah, why WOULD you box yourself in and let me finish you off?" asked Sonic, as though he could read the story as it was being written.

Eggman argued, "You're lucky you move faster than those columns, you-"

"Okay, seriously! Amy Rose could move faster than those columns! This is hardly a challenge, Eggbert."

Eggman's face was turning red already. "Gyaugh! Grrr… I can still shoot you with this laser!"

"What laser?"

"Hmm?" The mad doctor looked downward, and realized that he had forgotten to install a laser for his Egg Carrier. "Oh, of all the rotten…"

**Bonk!**

"I'll get you next round, Sonic!" screamed Eggman, as his Egg Carrier was now spewing up ash and smoke. It hit the ground hard and bounced off into an elevator shaft that would take it to its final course.

Sonic spun into a pipeline that launched him into the fourth level of the E.G.G. Station, which had an incredibly long runway for him to race down on in pursuit of Eggman's fourth machine, which he dubbed The Bubble Maker. As he dodged one small bubble-bomb, Sonic came very close to the Egg Carrier to inspect it.

"...Are those staples on the side of your engine?"

"NO IT'S NOT! Now," gloated the dusty and bandaged Eggman, "your journey ends here, Sonic! I'll bet even you can't out-match the-"

A kick of Sonic's boot was all it took to make the machine fall to pieces, like it were made of cheap glass. Down went the Egg Carrier and Eggman, skidding down the hall until they came to a smoky halt. While Eggman coughed and waved his arms to clear the smoke, he could see Sonic tapping his foot with a look of both disappointment and awe. But mostly disappointment.

"Let me guess," said the bored hedgehog, "you've got a giant robotic version of yourself waiting for me at the end of the line."

The mad doc paused before he gave off a deep sigh. "….Yeah. It's a giant robot version of me."

"Does it come with arms that shoot forward with spikes on them?"

"Yeah."

"And does it jump way high and come falling down in hopes of crushing me?"

"Yep."

"…..And none of this strikes you as a déjà vu?"

"Look, my company's fallen on hard times. I couldn't build anything new and exciting this time around, so just work with me here, okay?"

Sonic shrugged, "Heh…. Alright. I'll give you a head start, ol' man."

"Thanks." Eggman squirmed his way out of what was left of his Egg Carrier and dashed as quickly as he could over to the launch pit of his "secret weapon."

Sonic sighed softly, "Recession. It's gotten us all."

He then raced on toward absolute victory.

.

**End**


	55. Time Paradox And Why: Sonic

_Yes, I've watched the _"Sonic Generations"_ trailer on YouTube. And it is A.W.E.S.O.M.E. (Go see it if you haven't already! Go NOW! I command you!) So of course I had to do a Drabble based on it. Don't worry, Storm337, the Shadow Drabble will be coming soon._

_Also, I'd like to take this time out to give a very warm "Thank You" to all of you; your last few reviews have allowed me to reach past the 200 review mark! I am so grateful and honored by all of you. I can only hope to keep this up for as long as my imagination will allow me. You guys are the best. _

.

"**TIME PARADOX (And Why It's Never A Good Idea)"**

**A Sonic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Based on the **_**"Sonic Generations"**_** Trailer**

.

"So," smiled Knuckles, as he and Tails walked down a path of Green Hill Zone, "I hear Sonic's in a new trailer featuring his younger self."

"Yeah," nodded Tails, "it's pretty cool. Everybody's been wanting to see the 'Old School' Sonic, and since we're nearing our 20th Anniversary, now's the best time for it."

"You know," pondered Knuckles out loud as he rubbed his chin, "they say these time paradox things often end in disaster."

"How so?"

"Well, something about the past not being allowed to know what's in the future, it screws things up I guess."

"Well, what's the big deal? I mean, it's just Sonic, right? …..Nothing really terrible happened between 1991 and…. Two…. Thousand….. six….."

"OH MY GOD!" they screamed in unison, and took off as fast as they could in the opposite direction.

.

"…And then in 2006, I got killed by a Fake Shadow, which in itself is weird cause Shadow's already a Faker, but then I got revived by a human princess who kissed me on the lips while I was still dead. And then there was that time I turned into a Werehog... Hey, you okay Little Me?"

"SONIC! DON'T! STOP! DON'T TELL HIM ANYTHING!" screamed Knuckles and Tails as they raced into the scene where the Modern and Retro Sonics were filming their trailer.

But they stopped just at the feet of poor little Retro Sonic, who was lying on his side in a half-ball, shaking like a leaf with his hands on his cheeks in sheer trauma. "the horror….. the horror... make it. stop. make. it. stop…." He cringed in a soft, trembling voice. All the while, Modern Sonic was sitting on a tree stump, looking as perplexed as ever.

Knuckles then turned to a defeated Tails. "And that is why Time Paradoxes should never be tested."

.

**End**

("Soylent Greens is people!" muttered Retro Sonic as he was carried away on a stretcher.)


	56. Play Date: Shadow and ?

_This was partially requested by Storm 337, but the truth is I had an idea for this particular Drabble for a while now._

.

"**PLAY DATE"**

**A Shadow/? Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

In a small ice cream shop in Station Square, Shadow the Hedgehog was seen sitting opposite Amy Rose in a table for two. They had already ordered two banana sundaes before their conversation began.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," grumbled Shadow.

"Oh, relax," coaxed Amy with her eyes narrowed. "I heard they would be here."

"Who're we spying on, anyway? You didn't tell me."

"Sonic."

"The _Faker_?" he roared, realizing that he had been duped all along. "I thought you said this was a secret spying mission!"

"It is. I heard that Sonic was going out to lunch with some 'cute girl,' so I had to spy on them. And I couldn't just do it alone; it'd be too suspicious."

Shadow moaned as he cupped his face in shame. "…I should have known this was just about you and your petty jealousy."

Amy flustered. "Uh! First of all, I'm not jealous, I'm just concerned for Sonic!"

"Sure you are."

"And second of all, you don't have to be here if you don't want to! I can just ask someone else to be my date. In fact, I think I'll go ask Tails, or Knuckles."

Not wanting to be outdone by a preteen fox or a gullible echidna, Shadow swallowed his pride with a deep sigh. "…Fine. Let's get this over with."

"And remember, you're supposed to act like you really like me, or he'll just ignore us."

"Whatever."

Sure enough, the blue hedgehog did enter the shop on his date. Shadow's eyes were glued to his sundae while his prey sat at a table by the window, on the opposite side of the room. He was starting to feel embarrassed, but stayed in character long enough for Amy to make her first move.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, Shadow, you're such a tease!" she blurted out for her true interest to hear. But there seemed to be no response on Sonic's side of the room. So Amy raised the bar by reaching out to grab Shadow's hand. Her sudden touch spooked him.

"Why Shadow," cooed Amy with a certain flutter in her eyelashes. "That's the sweetest thing I ever heard."

Confused, Shadow blinked, "What? What'd I say?" He then felt a sharp kick from her boot to his ankle; he winced.

"Play along," she replied with grit teeth.

"Oh-oh-oh, right. Right… Uh… Heh, yeah, it's like that," he said with a raised voice.

"Oh, really? Gee, I bet Sonic couldn't run that obstacle course blindfolded."

Now with a smile, Shadow added, "He couldn't run that course, period. It'd eat him alive. Ha ha ha ha."

Finally, Sonic's green eyes glanced there way, as if he sensed a challenge. Amy took notice and whispered, "Oo, I think it's working! Keep going, Shadow."

"Uh, yeah!" Shadow fake-gloated. "I'll bet that Faker doesn't even know what he's missing over here! Why, just look at you Rose, you're glowing like a star!"

Amy's mouth nearly dropped in shock; was this part of the act, she wondered? It sounded much too sincere for that.

But he went on: "Your eyes are like emeralds, and your fur is so….. so…. Pink! It's… blowing me away. The pink-ness."

Amy relaxed her arms. "Go on," she smiled almost seductively.

"And your… uh… You're so lovely, I'd run the whole earth a million times just to prove that no such beauty exists anywhere else."

She gasped. "Really?"

"Yes, and your smile is like a sunrise. I think. Wait, wait, let me try that again."

"No, no, go on! I like it! Tell me more, please."

"Uh… F-Faker doesn't know what he's missing over here! He'd come walking right up to this table, punch me in the face, and still miss it! Yeah! What a stupid punk!"

"What'd you call me?"

At last, his quarry had answered the call. Shadow gleefully turned to face a jealous Sonic. "I said, you're—r-r-roo-rou-**ROUGE**!"

Rouge the Bat stood by Sonic with her arms on her hips, giving off the same angry mood that Sonic was. Shadow jumped to his feet, totally flabbergasted. "What are YOU doing here!"

"Me?" blinked the she-bat. "I'm on a date with Sonic. What are_ you_ doing here, Shadow?"

That's when it hit him like a sack of bricks to the face: Rouge was with Sonic the whole time! "HIM?" he howled, pointing to Sonic in the face. "YOU'RE on a date with HIM?"

"He asked me if I wanted some ice cream, and it was such a sweet gesture, I couldn't just say no."

"A-HA!" shouted Amy, jumping onto the table to stand by Shadow's side. "So you two _are_ dating! I knew it!"

Sonic maintained his cool and frowned, "What are you talking about, Amy? Rouge and I are just friends. Can't two friends go out for some ice cream?"

Rouge then smiled her devious smile. "Yeah, Shadow. Why're you getting so upset? Besides, if anybody is here on a date, it's clearly you and Amy."

"What?" growled Shadow, his left eye twitching.

Rouge giggled. "Oh, these ears aren't just so show, sweetie. I heard the whole thing, how you'd run across the world just to prove that no one matches her beauty."

Shadow's cheeks flushed red, but not just in anger.

"And you think so much of her eyes, her smile, her 'pink-ness.'"

His hands started to quiver.

Sonic blurted out a laugh. "Bff! You actually said that, Shadow? That's the gayest thing I ever heard!"

"**Shut. Up. F-F-F-F-Faker**."

Amy could tell that her spy partner was going to Chaos Blast at any second, so she said, "Okay, okay. I think we can all calm down now; there's been a little misunderstanding, I think."

Sonic and Rouge shot a glare at Amy, making her drop the act at last. Rouge frowned, "Honestly, Amy, Sonic and I have nothing but respect for each other. If you were really that jealous, you could have just told us so."

"Yeah Ams," said Sonic with a small smile. "I thought you were over the whole jealousy thing; you know I'd never be on a serious date unless it were with somebody I really care about."

Amy's eyes batted. "You… You really mean that, Sonic?"

"Course I do."

"Then… Then I guess I owe you an apology. You too, Rouge….. and you, Shadow."

"Me?" Shadow finally calmed himself upon hearing those words, which took him by surprise.

"Yeah," Amy admitted with a bowed head. "I was just using you to make Sonic jealous. I'm really sorry."

Shadow's eyes softened. "….Well, I knew that. I just played along to make Sonic look stupid. I guess I failed that mission."

"…So wait," Sonic frowned. "You mean you two weren't really on a date?"

"No," replied Amy and Shadow in unison.

Sonic and Rouge exchanged glances, then Rouge sighed, "Aw, that's too bad. You two looked really cute for a second there."

"Please Rouge, don't tease like that."

"No, I mean it Shadow. When I heard you saying all that flirty stuff, you sounded like you really meant it. It was really cute."

Shadow paused; at first his quills were ruffled defensively, but then his eyes pulled back to Am, who was blushing slightly. He then looked back to the she-bat and said, "….yeah, well…. It was just for show anyway."

Am couldn't help but feel a little hurt by those words; she stepped away from Shadow like he was infected with a disease.

"Oh, okay," nodded Rouge. "So… are we still on for Friday night?"

"Sure," Shadow replied with a nod back.

Amy then gasped, "Wait, Friday night? What's going on Friday night?"

Shadow turned to her and said, "Rouge and I were scheduled for a dinner that night- only _that_ date is official."

Rouge added, "It's more of a formal co-worker thing, but still."

"Well then, I'll see you Friday night, Rouge. Faker." As he said this, Shadow's elbow brushed against Sonic's in order to push him out of the way as the black hedgehog made a suave exit.

Rouge then shrugged to her date, "Well, this was certainly interesting, Sonic. Thanks again for lunch."

"No prob," smiled the blue hedgehog.

As Rouge walked away, Amy tiptoed over to Sonic, looking almost too ashamed to be present. But Sonic looked to her with the same warm smile as always. "…You okay, Ams?"

"I guess so," sighed the pink she-hog. "I really screwed things up around here; you must hate me right now."

"Nah, it's cool… Besides, I don't think that's the only thing you're upset about." He said this with a wink in his eye.

She glanced up at him, knowing what he meant by that. "…I guess those two are more than just co-workers, huh?"

Sonic stretched his arms behind his head in his usual mischievous attitude. "Well, you know… I'm free on Friday night, and I'd sure like to find out what those two might talk about at their table."

Amy then realized that he was asking her for another play-date, with the tables turned. She might have wanted to go with Sonic just to satisfy her crush, or perhaps she was starting to feel more interest in Shadow. Or perhaps it was a little of both.

Either way, she smiled, "It's a date."

.

**End**


	57. Quick Change: Sally

_Did you know that the name Sally translates to "Princess?" That means her full name is Princess Princess Acorn! …Just wanted to share that._

_Anyways, Ohai requested a sequel to _"Play Date,"_ and Darkrose826 requested a drabble for the Chaotix. I've accepted both requests, but for some reason I'm having trouble with the plots. I guess I've run smack into another Writer's Block. So until those are released, here's a drabble I've already finished while you wait for your requests._

.

"**QUICK CHANGE"**

**A Sally Acorn Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Set in the Archie Comics Universe, **

**Between Issues #15 and #16**

.

Her blue boots couldn't run fast enough; the Egg Carrier was gaining speed. Never before had Robotnik been so close to finding the secret location of Knothole, nor was he so close to capturing Princess Sally. But here she was, all by herself, running for her life and no blue hedgehog in sight. How could he resist such a rare opportunity?

"Surrender now, princess!" roared the oversized madman. "Don't think that I'll go easy on you, just because you're a female!"

She, the pink-furred, black-haired, blue-nosed she-squirrel, made a high jump onto a tree limb. There, she defiantly called back, "Bring it on, Robotnik!"

"As you wish, your highness," he laughed, as he launched a giant metallic scissor from the front of his Egg Carrier. The she-squirrel jumped away in time before it sliced her tree in two.

When she landed, Sally lost a great deal of headway, and the Egg Carrier was practically on top of her. She picked up her heels and darted to the far left, changing direction in a heartbeat. Robotnik had to hand it to her, she was one tough cookie to catch.

As his pursuit went on, Sally made sure to run as far away from Knothole as possible, but she was taking a risk in not being anywhere near her allies… or so, that's that Robotnik thought. She jumped into a large bush as the shadow of his Egg Carrier loomed over her.

"At last," he gloated, "the princess of Mobius is mine!"

"Not quite, Ro-butt-nik! I'm over _here_!" called out a familiar feminine voice.

"Huh?" he gasped, looking back and forth in surprise.

Suddenly, she reappeared, but from far behind his Egg Carrier and standing atop a boulder. Only this time, she was blonde with orange fur. "Impossible!" he growled, but his Egg Carrier's detection system targeted the orange she-squirrel, and registered her as Princess Sally. He had no choice but to make chase again.

Sally's legs almost spun as quickly as Sonic's, as she raced Robotnik into an open clearing where she had a trap waiting for him. Standing behind a giant tree was Rotor, hanging onto a swinging mace. On the opposite side was Antoine, ready to cut the wire of another mace; the gimmick was to have the maces slam into each other like gauntlets as Robotnik passed by them. However, as the orange Sally ran by, they released their trap too late. The Egg Carrier just missed getting hit in between the gauntlets. The chase continued.

After running for a few minutes, Sally started to get tired. Her panting increased as she headed straight for a small pond up ahead. She jumped in just before the Egg Carrier's claw could grab her.

Robotnik slowed his machine down to a crawl, making it hover just above the water. He knew it was only a matter of time before she would come up for air. "Where are you, little princess? You can't hide in there forever! Tick-tock, tick-tock… Here comes the countdown."

Indeed, a familiar rhythm began to play, as Sally's time underwater was slipping away. But just when Robotnik thought he had her, a rustle in the trees broke his concentration. Was it Sonic? He turned his Egg Carrier around to find out.

What he saw standing on the bank of the river was a brown she-squirrel with red hair and a black nose, wearing a light blue vest and boots that matched that of Princess Sally. And indeed, her face did strike a certain resemblance. "Looking for me?" she inquired.

"No! It can't be!" he gasped in disbelief. But it was true; his Egg Carrier's detection system revealed her as Princess Sally. "But how?" he growled furiously.

"Try to catch me, and maybe I'll tell you," she smirked. Then the brown-furred princess took off in a hurry, back into the deep wood of the Great Forest. Robotnik had no choice but to follow, missing the orange squirrel pop her head out of the water with a great big gasp.

Robotnik was running low on fuel, but he couldn't miss this one last shot at the princess. Again, she seemed all alone and helpless; perhaps this time her luck had run out. But Sally was clever enough to head into a section of the woods where the trees stood practically side by side each other; there was no way for the Egg Carrier to snake past them unless it took to the sky. At first he resisted, but after the Egg Carrier was banged up a few times, he realized that any more damage would have grounded him for sure.

So he pulled back on his steering wheel and headed straight up. That's where Bunnie and Tails were waiting with a net. The mad doctor gasped in frustration as he found himself netted by the rabbit and fox. "You think this will hold me?" he then grinned proudly. With that, his engine roared and sent the Egg Carrier flying like a cannonball, dragging both the net and Bunnie Rabbot as her robotic hand gripped on tightly.

Bunnie's rocket boosters in her feet switched on, and she tried to pull the doc downward. Though she failed to stop him completely, she did at least slow him down. That's when he realized that his fuel was all but drained; he was going down.

"NoooooOOOOOOOOO!"

**CRASH!**

Robotnik lost consciousness for a while; when he came to, he found himself surrounded by the Freedom Fighters, including Sonic.

"where… which way did she go?" he moaned weakly.

"Who, lil' ol' me?" asked the voice of Princess Sally. The brown she-squirrel with the flaming red hair then walked up to him. "I'm right here."

Robotnik was about to pull out his laser gun and fire at her, when another female voice said, "Or am I over here?" His head jerked to the right, and saw the pink furred squirrel with raven-black hair smiling at him.

"Or maybe I'm over here," smiled another female voice. Robotnik turned to the far left with a gasp, seeing the orange furred squirrel with sunlit blonde hair.

"Ugh… Ack! I'm… I'm seeing double! T-triple!" gasped the bewildered Overlander. "H-how-how can this be? It's impossible! Impossible, I say!"

Sonic crossed his arms. "Ah, give it up Robuttski. You lost this one."

"No… NO!"

"You go bye-bye now."

Bunnie revved up her right leg, and with it spinning like a pinwheel, it gave a great kick to the Egg Carrier, sending it flying out of the forest as though it were a football.

"I. HATE. THAT. WHOEVER-SHE-IS!" were his last words before Robotnik was gone.

As the Freedom fighters cheered, Princess Sally- the brown one- walked up to her orange and pink doubles and slapped them five. "Well done, girls."

"It was our pleasure, Princess," said the pink one.

Sonic looked at the three of them, and shook his head with a smile. "Okay, okay, I'm lost again. Which one is Sally?"

"_I'm_ Sally," confirmed the red-head. "These are my hand-maidens: Stephanie the pink, and Sylvia the orange." The other she-squirrels curtsied upon hearing their real names.

"Wow," Sonic admitted, "I gotta say, you had even us fooled for a while girls."

"It was necessary," nodded Sylvia. "We couldn't just come out and say who the real princess was, not until we knew we had a chance against Robotnik."

"Besides," added Stephanie, "tricking the old Ro-Butt was really fun!"

"Yeeeaah," said Sonic, who seemed rather confused and even a little disturbed.

"Sonic? Are you okay?" asked the real Sally.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," nodded the hedgehog. "I knew it was you all along, Sal…"

Sally then smirked. "Oh, really? I recall you flirting with Steph and Syl for a while."

Sonic was caught red-handed, but he insisted, "I was just playing along! Honest! I know who my real girl is! …I do!"

Clearly, he was getting nervous, and the others giggled as they picked up on it. Shortly afterwards, they decided to call it a day and leave poor Sonic alone with the real Sally.

"It's okay," she reassured him as she patted his shoulder. "I understand if we confused you, Sonic. And for that, I'm sorry."

Sonic then smiled back slyly, "Aw Sal, you can fool me any day of the week… It_ is_ Sal, right?"

"Maybe," she giggled.

"…Syl?"

"Guess again."

"Steph."

"Getting warmer."

"Okay, knock it off now."

"Knock what off?"

"Come on, Sal."

"Wrong."

"Steph?"

"Who's Steph?"

"Sal-Syl-Steph! Beat that!"

Sally laughed.

.

**End**


	58. A Mighty Problem: Mighty Armadillo

.

"**A MIGHTY PROBLEM"**

**A Mighty Armadillo Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

"_Here I come to save the da-a-a-ay!"_

So sung the small, benevolent rodent Mighty Mouse as he flew in ala Superman from the sky and around the skyline of a great metropolis. He was black-furred with a peach, skin-like muzzle, donning a yellow suit with red underpants, boots and cape, complete with white gloves as any classic cartoon character would.

Defying gravity, he flew in to give a giant rodent-shaped monstrosity of a robot a great punch in the face. Though he was far smaller, Mighty Mouse's strength was immeasurable. The robot, which was clearly wreaking havoc and causing wild panic in the streets, fell over on its back and was smashed to pieces. As those pieces went flying, Might Mouse scrambled through the air to catch them. He stopped a claw from crashing into a building, he caught the face of the metal beast from smushing a car. …But one piece he failed to catch in time.

The robot had eight tentacles, like an octopus, and one of them was falling onto a mouse lady pushing a baby cart. She froze in fear in the shadow of the falling metal tube. But just as she closed her eyes to welcome her end, all was silent. Confused, she opened her eyes, and gazed in wonder at her hero.

He was black-furred with a yellow tummy, yellow muzzle with matching yellow ears, donning a bright red shell and red shoes with white stripes, complete with white gloves as any classic cartoon character would. He… was an armadillo.

"My hero!" cheered the mouse lady as Mighty Armadillo tossed the giant robot tentacle aside.

While one mighty smiled humbly, the other Mighty came flying in, landing beside what appeared to be his doppelganger. The two Mighties eyed and stared each other up and down, awed by their similarities. Until finally, the mouse had enough.

"Get out," he said, pointing his finger toward the far left as to indicate an exit.

"But I-"

"I said get out. There's only room for one Mighty around here."

"But it's not my-"

"GET. OUT."

"….Okay."

Defeated, Mighty Armadillo made s low and bent exit from the scene, then the city.

Then… who knows where?

.

**End**

**Mighty Mouse is owned by 20****th**** Century Fox and Marvel Comics**


	59. Another DBZ Reference: Sonic

He could have at least wished for better games, but _nooooooooo_…

.

"**ANOTHER 'DRAGONBALL Z' REFERENCE"**

**A Sonic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

One more round in the Special Stage, and Sonic had nabbed his purple Chaos Emerald, the last in the series. Now he had all seven, which meant he could go Super!

…But that's not exactly what happened on this day. No, on _this_ day, the seven emeralds swirled in a circle, spinning uncontrollably, then shot into the air like rockets. Sonic watched, perplexed, as suddenly a flash in the sky marked the entrance of a great, emerald-green Oriental dragon, whose snake-like body twisted and coiled endlessly, as did the flow of its long golden whiskers. It stared into Sonic's soul with its bright, orange eyes.

"I am Shenron, the Eternal Dragon," it said in a low, grumbling voice.

Sonic stood there in awe; "Woah…"

"You have collected all seven of my Dragon Balls, and for that, you are allowed one wish for me to grant. Anything you desire shall be yours."

The blue hedgehog blinked, still confused and dumbfounded. He wasn't sure what the dragon was talking about, but the idea of getting a wish seemed to spark his interest. "…Anything I want? Really?"

"Anything."

"…hmm…. Can I get a chilidog?"

The dragon's eyes furrowed in wonder. "…Uh… You could have riches- great, endless riches!"

"….Nah, I'll just take the chilidog."

"You could wish for immortality, or ask for me to revive a fallen loved one."

"Just the chilidog will do, thanks."

"No, really. I can do anything! I can fell your worst enemy, or make you more famous and powerful beyond your wildest dreams! …Come on, man, those Dragon Balls don't just fall wherever you like! You may never get this opportunity again! Now, I beseech thee, ask for a grand wish!"

"Oh, alright, alright!" said the frustrated hedgehog. "…_Two_ chilidogs."

Shenron frowned in disappointment as a giant sweat-bead ran down the side of his face. "….Eh, fine. Thy wish is granted."

_**Poof!**_

As Sonic clutched onto one chilidog with each of his hands, he felt very satisfied indeed. But his joy lasted for only a second, just as the Eternal Dragon had disappeared, never to return again.

"Dang. I shoulda wished for a soda too."

.

**End**


	60. My Hero?: Sonic, Sally, Amy

I've had a dream recently that this drabble is based on. Thing is, I had already written a psuedo-romantic drabble, which is still expecting a sequel I have not forgotten. Anyway, I wanted there to be a gap between the two scenarios, and I think now is the time to release it.

.

"**MY HERO…?"**

**A Sonic, Sally and Amy Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

TIME: 00:01

In the heart of Metropolis Zone, in the lair of Doctor Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog had dodged swarms of unrelenting Slicers, Shellcrackers and Asterons. It had all come down to this, the location of the captive Princess Sally Acorn. She was sitting in a giant birdcage, huddled in a corner of it and weeping pitifully. Sonic believed that she was crying out of fear, so he eagerly opened the cage.

"Okay Princess Sally, you're free!" he cheered.

She lifted her head, and just looked at him, her eyes tearful and yet empty.

Sonic's cheerfulness paused. "…Uh, Sal? What's wr"

_Slap!_

"I'll tell you what's wrong!" she screamed, furiously. "I saw you making out with that Amy Rose right before I got kidnapped! It all happened while your back was turned, you two-timing whore!"

Sonic backed up defensively. "Woah, woah, WOAH! You got it all wrong, Sal! I wasn't kissing _her_, she was kissing _me_!"

"Same difference," said the still angry princess, with her arms crossed and her blue boot tapping impatiently. It was apparent now that the only reason why she was crying was because he was cheating on her, not the fact that she was kidnapped.

"There you are!" came the voice of Amy Rose, as she marched into the scene right behind Sonic.

He jumped in stunned fear of her; "D'yah!"

"I knew you came out here to save your 'girlfriend,' Sonic the Hedgehog!" growled the jealous Rose. "I thought you dumped her for me!"

Perplexed, Sonic backed even further away. "Okay, everybody calm down! I can explain all of this…"

TIME: 01:30

"…Sal, you've been my girl for as long as I can remember. And Amy, you've been stalking me since the day you learned to walk. The truth is, I like both of you, for very different reasons."

Unsatisfied, the two girls stood by with stern faces. "We're not convinced," Sally confirmed.

"Yeah," agreed Amy. "We wanna know who you like most, Sonic. It's either her or me. You choose."

Sonic was at a loss, and so he stood there as anxiously as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. "….I….. uhh…. W-well, I… uh…"

.

TIME: 02:25

"…The thing is, you're both really pretty. Sal, you've got the body. And Amy, you've got the dress with the really, really short skirt... In fact, would you please pose like Marylin Monroe for me just for one second?"

"Sure," cooed the pink girl as she cupped her waist to make her skirt look slightly more revealing.

"ehhhh..." sighed Sonic dreamily with a wiry smile, only to snap out of it with Sally's sharp, "Pervert."

"Ahem! Yes. Well… And Sal, you've got the princess thing going, and Amy? …You've got a really big hammer."

"Go on," Amy encouraged him.

"And, uh, Sally's got this computer that talks to her. And Amy's got tarot cards that read the future."

"Uh-huh?" nodded Sally.

"Um… Let's see, what else is there?"

While all of this was going on, Robotnik himself was nearby, floating in his Egg Carrier with great curiosity beaming through his sunglasses.

A Shellcracker crawled up to him and asked, "Sir, permission to fire?"

"Shhh, not right now," Robotnik whispered in reply. "This is getting good."

.

TIME: 05:45

Sonic was still at a loss on which girl to call his official girlfriend. "Let's see… Uh, well, Sally's a squirrel/chipmunk thing, and Amy's a hedgehog, so logically she _should_ be my girlfriend. Plus she's pink, and I'm blue, which naturally go together I guess?"

"Yeah?" Amy nodded.

"But then," Sonic added with his eyes wandering toward the ceiling, "there's the age thing."

"What age thing?"

"Well, Amy, you're a lot younger than me."

"I'm twelve, and you're fifteen. That's only a difference of three years."

"…Yeah, okay, but Sally's more around my age."

"So does that automatically make me the winner?" Sally asked curiously.

"…W-well, not necessarily," he frowned.

"Ugh!" moaned Sally. "This is getting us nowhere! Alright, Sonic, if you can't tell us who you like more than at least tell us who the better kisser is!"

"What!"

"You've kissed us both, so you must know! Which of us is the better kisser, me or Amy?"

"Don't answer, that, man!" cried out the mad scientist floating nearby. All three animal heads turned to Eggman, who coyly smiled, "Sorry. Carry on."

Sonic froze again. "Well…. Uh…."

TIME: 06:32

"…Amy's kiss was really forced…. But it was okay… And Sally's a nice, gentle kisser. But I liked them both."

"How about when we cuddle?" asked Sally. "You like that too, don't you?"

"Yes, yes I do very much so…. But I'm sure Amy's cuddles are nice too."

"How about I cuddle you right now?" suggested the pink girl.

"Uh, no. Sorry Ams, I'm not really in the cuddling mood right now… See, I got a world to save, an evil doctor to defeat…"

Robotnik was asleep and snoring away in his Egg Carrier by now.

"…and, I still gotta get all the Chaos Emeralds so that I can get the Good Ending."

"Oh, for the love of Flynn, Sonic! Just pick a girl and be done with it!" Sally stormed.

"Okay, okay! Alright! You forced me to do it, and I'm gonna do it! I choose…."

The girls waited with baited breath.

"…..Blaze."

"BLAZE!" the girls howled, both dumbfounded.

Robotnik was woken up by their screams. "Ahh! Wahh! Is it over? Can I kill him now?"

"Yes. I choose Blaze the Cat," Sonic nodded.

"Ugh," moaned Robotnik, sinking back into his Egg Carrier.

Sonic explained, "See, the way I figure it, Blaze is the full package. She's purple, which matches with my color. She's a princess, which covers Sally's status, _and_ she controls fire, which means she's literally hot."

"But she's not even from this world!" Amy argued.

"…Oh yeah. I forgot about that."

Sally threw up her arms. "Okay, I give up. Amy, if you want him that badly, take him. He's yours."

Amy shook her head, "No way. I can't be with a man who's this indecisive."

Sonic's jaw dropped. "…Wha? Wait a minute! Just a few seconds ago you two were both clambering for me!"

"Seconds ago? …SECONDS? Look at the time, you big blue idiot!" said Sally as her finger pointed up toward the upper left-hand corner of the screen.

Sonic looked up.

TIME: 08:59

His ears drooped in fear. "Oh. Crap."

Sally crossed her arms and turned away from her hero. "This has gone far enough, Sonic. If you're seriously that torn about us, then maybe we should just call it quits."

"N-no, wait!" pleaded the blue boy. "I still like both of you very much!"

"_Like_, but not love," sneered Amy as she too turned her back on him.

"But I thought that's what we were arguing about here!"

"Ugh, you men can never decide what you want anyway." Sally started to march off, followed by Amy.

Sonic dropped to his knees and held his aching forehead in defeat. "Okay! Okay! I give up! You win! I CHOOSE-"

10:00 Minutes = TIME OVER

.

**End**


	61. Conflicted: Metal Sonic

.

"**CONFLICTED"**

**A Metal Sonic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

Robotnik had won.

Deep within the heart of Metropolis Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog was locked inside a Roboticizer chamber. He was conscious, but he was also chained and handcuffed to ensure that there would be no escape. While the mad doctor with the egg-shaped body laughed hysterically, he was on his keyboard typing in the code to activate his machine. All the while, Metal Sonic looked on, seemingly unphased.

**Status report: Online.**

**Checking interior: Damage at twenty-five percent. Repairs in progress.**

**Target, Sonic the Hedgehog: Captured.**

**Mission: Complete.**

"…Any last words before I put you out of my misery, hedgehog?"

Sonic was his cool, cynical self as always. "Hmm… Let's see, there are so many words to choose from. Most people would go with, 'You'll never get away with this,' but that's just too cliché for me. How about, 'You're so fat, you need three Zones just to fit your butt?' …Eh, no, that's too juvenile. How 'bout this: 'I've eaten chilidogs more sour than you?' No, wait! I got it: Guess which finger I'm raising right now!"

"Cute," replied Robotnik. "But you won't be so funny once you've become my latest robot slave."

Metal Sonic's red irises blinked. **"Robot. Slave."**

"Yes, Metal Sonic," grinned Robotnik. "Wouldn't you like to have a little brother, or cousin, to call your own? Then you can both wreak havoc on the planet. Hee-hee-hee."

"**Define. Brother-Cousin. Doctor."**

"He means for me to be like you," Sonic replied from his chamber.

Metal Sonic blinked again, as though he were suddenly overcome with a glitch.

**Progress Report: Target, Sonic the Hedgehog, in process of becoming Roboticized.**

**-Sonic, Roboticized: Made metal.**

**-Metal Sonic. Metal… Metal…**

"**Metal?"** his voice echoed.

Robotnik then turned his attention to Sonic's doppelganger. "Is something wrong, Metal Sonic?"

"**Metal. Sonic."**

"Yes, yes, that's your name!"

"…**I. Am. Metal. Sonic."**

"Of course you are, you silly bucket of bolts!"

Metal Sonic turned to the flesh-and-blood hedgehog in the Roboticizing chamber. **"Sonic. Hedgehog."**

Robotnik's patience wore out. "What is your problem? You were supposed to capture him for me, and you've succeeded! You should be proud of yourself for this!"

**Progress Report: Target self, Metal Sonic.**

**-Mission: Capture Sonic the Hedgehog.**

**-Mission: Capture Sonic the Hedgehog.**

**-Mission: Capture Sonic the Hedgehog.**

**ERROR!**

**-Mission: Complete.**

"**I… Am…. Confused."**

"Yo, Metal!" Sonic called out, seizing his doppelganger's attention. "If your boss Roboticizes me, then that means he has no more use for you!"

"No, that's a lie! Don't listen to that filthy little rodent, Metal."

"Why would he keep two Metal Sonics?"

"SILENCE!"

"No, really. Think about it! Your mission is complete, that means you're finished!"

**Progress Report: Mission is complete.**

**Complete = Finished.**

**Complete = Finished.**

**Metal Sonic = Finished?**

"Enough of this!" Robotnik pressed a big red button to activate the Roboticizer.

Sonic was overcome with a flash of blinding light, as electric sparks shot through his body. For a moment, he thought he was done for. But then, CRASH!

In an instant, Metal Sonic broke through the chamber and pulled Sonic out by his chains, just as the machine was about to overwhelm him.

"Metal!" screamed a furious Robotnik. "How? How could you?"

Metal Sonic stared at his creator.

**Progress Report: Mission: Failure.**

"**I. Am. Not. Finished!" **He then ran his claws down Sonic's chains, slicing them apart.

"Thanks, dude! I owe ya one." With that, Sonic curled into a Spin-Dash and took off in a blur.

Robotnik nearly fell out of his chair as his arms wailed in fury. "YOU INCOMPETENT FOOL! GO AFTER HIM, RIGHT NOW!"

**Progress Report: New Mission, Capture Sonic the Hedgehog.**

"**Yes. Doctor."**

Metal Sonic activated his rocket thrusters, flying after Sonic's blazed trail.

**Status Report: Repairs to interior are complete.**

**Sonic the Hedgehog, not Roboticized.**

**Metal Sonic remains only one.**

"**Only. One."**

One would swear that he was smiling in that moment.

.

**End**


	62. Backup Plan: Sonic and Blaze

.

"**THE BACKUP PLAN"**

**A Sonic and Blaze Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by Storm337 and his/her friend**

_Set in "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games"_

.

In the glorious Olympic Dome, Mario was making his grand entrance with torch in hand. The audience cheered wildly and flashed their cameras, bringing light to the evening atmosphere. By the steps of the gigantic torch basin were the casts of Sonic's world lined up with the cast of Mario's world. This was a truly epic moment indeed, as their worlds don't normally collide.

Mario joyfully hopped up the staircase toward the basic where he would light the ceremonial torch, when _"FOOM!" _His small light mysteriously went out!

"Huh?" he blinked.

The audience, as well as most of the characters on stage, shared a unanimous gasp of horror and disbelief. But among the gasps and hollers, one voice burst out in maniacal laughter. "BWA-hahahahahahahahaha! Hohohohohohoo!"

Sonic's mouth curled downward as is eyes narrowed in anger; he recognized that laugh. Slowly his creeping eyes turned to the big fat ugly man standing among his friends: Dr. Eggman. The mad scientist was holding up a type of ray gun with a fan attached to it; he wasn't even trying to cover up the fact that he blew out the flame!

Mario huffed, "I dunna remember inviting him-a."

"You didn't," sneered Sonic. "He decided to crash the party."

All at once, the audience let out a loud and long "BOO!" at Eggman, who took it as a compliment and boldly took a few bows.

Knuckles was about to throw a punch at Eggman, when Sonic stopped him. "It's cool," grinned the blue hedgehog. "I had a feeling this might happen, so I made a backup plan."

"Backup?" blinked Knuckles. "What backup?"

**POOF!** Went a burst of flame in the air, just over the heads of the characters.

Sonic looked upwards. "Here she comes."

From the flame emerged Blaze the Cat, teleporting in from her alternate reality. While still in mid-air, she twirled her body like a ballerina near the edge of the torch basin, and waved her arms out toward it. A breath of hellfire poured from her paws, jetting out in a beam and straight into the basin.

**FOOM!** A great burst of fire ignited the grand torch once and for all. The crowd went ballistic with joy.

Eggman, knowing he lacked the power to put_ this_ fire out, lowered his fan gun and grumbled in defeat.

As Blaze took a bow in front of her friends, Sonic and company gave her a grateful applause.

"And _that_," winked Sonic to his readers, "is how you start a party."

.

**END**


	63. Proper Introductions: Sonic and Knuckles

_Sorry for the long absence; Life was keeping me at bay. (To learn more about it, check out my deviant art link in my profile.) But I'm here now, and I promise that more Drabbles and SW chapters will be on the way soon._

_Which brings me to today's Drabble. I've shown before that I oppose all storylines that make Knuckles look stupid, so this may seem like I'm beating a dead horse. But I couldn't pass this up, especially when __**Sonic is now officially 20 years old. Woo-hoo! Go Blue!**_

_Anyway, this was originally going to be a remake of the first Knuckles scene from _"Sonic Adventure," _focusing on how Knuckles has his own code of honor that forces him to fight anyone who may take away his Guardianship of the Chaos/Master Emeralds. Henceforth, the running gag of Eggman tricking Knuckles into fighting Sonic is once and for all nullified. Then I thought it over again, and decided to better explain Knuckles' honor code by taking us all the way back to the one adventure in which Knuckles was GENUINELY duped by Eggman. Knuckles fans, you're welcome._

_P.S.: I may still do the _"Sonic Adventure"_ Drabble I described earlier. Just… not right away. I think Knux may need a break after this one._

.

"**PROPER INTRODUCTIONS"**

**A Sonic and Knuckles Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Sonic and Knuckles"_

.

Sonic slowly opened his eyes, regaining consciousness after being run over by a giant boulder on his way through Hidden Palace Zone. When he came to, he found himself staring up at a blue-bricked wall, and a strange yellow mural painted on it in gold.

"Sonic?" peeped Tails, whose face came into view. "Sonic, are you okay?"

"uuugh…" moaned the hedgehog. "…Did you get the number o' that rock, dude? …Where are we?"

"You're in my palace."

Sonic recognized that voice. "That Guy," he whispered.

Yes- up until then, the mysterious red echidna was known to Sonic and Tails only as "That Guy." Now he was here, staring the two of them down, spiked fists raised and ready for battle.

Sonic quickly jumped to his feet, even though he was clearly winded. "You! You're the jerk that nearly killed me!"

"Yet I didn't kill you."

"…Hmm. Good point. So, why didn't you?"

"So that I could crush you myself- with my own bare hands!" The red echidna punched the air like a championship boxer. "Come on. Let's go. You and me, for the honor of the Chaos Emeralds!"

Sonic was now both dizzy and confused. "…What. Are you talking about?"

"You took my emeralds. As sworn Guardian of this island, I must fight you to win them back, fair and square!"

_Fair and square?_ "…Fair and square? Aren't you the one who sideswiped me when I first landed on this floating rock? And aren't you the one who just mowed me down with a giant boulder?"

Stupid hedgehog. Didn't he know better? The Guardian's hand was forced up until now. It was that other creature, "The Egg-Man," who told him to do those sly and sneaky things because it was in the echidna's best interests. He_ had_ to slow down this blue pest, if only to keep him from stealing any more Chaos Emeralds. But now they were in the Hidden Palace, the one area where the Guardian was sure The Egg-Man could not find them. Here, the Guardian could play by his own rules.

"Quit your whining and bring it!"

Sonic's head was throbbing; he had to palm it with his hand to soothe its ache. "Gimmie a break, dude."

"How about I give you a hundred and eighty breaks?"

Sonic paused, raising an eyebrow. "…Huh?"

That Guy faltered. "Um. H-how many bones are in a hedgehog's body?"

"I dunno. A hundred n' fifty, maybe?"

"Well, however many there are, that's how many I'm gonna break!"

"You're an idiot."

"SHUT UP!"

"Sonic," peeped Tails again. "You might as well do it, he won't leave us alone."

Tails was right; this Guy needed to be shut up once and for all. "Alright," frowned an irritated hedgehog. "You want a piece of me? Here it comes."

Tails immediately took flight, not wanting a part of this violence at all.

The Guardian held his ground as Sonic spin-dashed toward him; as they collided, the echidna pushed back against Sonic's force, but wasn't strong enough to keep his feet anchored. But before Sonic's ball form could cut through him, the Guardian grabbed hold and threw him against a rock wall. In his momentum, Sonic flew through the wall like a stray bullet.

He came back almost instantly, running circles around the echidna as though trying to make him dizzy. It worked at first; the Guardian paused in confusion, before losing his temper.

"Hold still, damn you!" As he screamed this, the Guardian slammed his fists into the ground, causing a tremor that knocked Sonic off his feet. As he lay on his back momentarily, he noticed a red blur jumping down on top of him. Sonic rolled out of the way just before the echidna could pound him into the ground; the force of his punch formed a crater in the earth where Sonic once laid.

"Missed me."

The echidna soon found his enemy standing on a small step nearby; he threw a punch, but it only hit the hedgehog's blur.

"Missed me!"

Sonic reappeared behind That Guy, tapping his shoulder. The echidna swung at him again, catching a gust of blue wind.

Sonic reappeared right in front of him, touching his rival's nose. "Now you gotta kiss me."

"Kiss THIS!" roared the Guardian as he threw his third- and missed- punch. He threw this punch so hard that he threw himself onto his stomach in defeat, but this only made him angrier. The Guardian decided then to change his strategy, and with winding arms he dove into the ground.

Meanwhile, Tails' eyes were glued to the mural painted on the far wall; he started to study it until he recognized one shape which mimicked that of a giant Chaos Emerald. It was being held by a golden creature with hedgehog-like spikes that ran down its back. "What could this mean?" mused the little fox softly.

Tails was soon startled by the quaking of the walls and ground, as the echidna swam just below the earth in pursuit of Sonic. The hedgehog was still quick on his feet, but now he was unsure of where to land, because anywhere he set his feet there came a spiked fist from beneath them.

"Hey wait a minute, I can do that too!" Sonic realized, and so he spun himself into a ball and began to burrow after That Guy.

Tails could only hover in mid-air and wait, listening to the crashes and grunts that echoed through the walls. Every once in a while, he would catch a glimpse of red or blue fur as it passed through one of many holes in the ground or in the walls. But eventually, Sonic came flying back out from a wall, after being sucker-punched by his red enemy.

At last, the Guardian had his opponent pinned; his weight started to crush the hedgehog's chest and tummy. He raised his right fist in the air, grinning, "This is for the glory of m ancestors!"

But then he felt a pair of small hands grabbing hold of his fist, trying desperately to pull it away from Sonic. "Leave… him… alone…!" winced Tails weakly.

"You again," huffed the Guardian, swatting Tails away like a fly.

"Hey, pick on your own sidekick!" growled Sonic. With that, he spin-dashed right into the echidna's face, knocking him into the ground.

"…ugh… n-o… fair," grumbled the echidna weakly as he lay on his back, winded.

As Sonic stood over him he frowned, "We'll talk about fair after I knock_ you_ down with a bou…" He stopped, as his ears twitched. A rumbling sound was stirring.

The Guardian heard it too, sitting up in alarm. "What…?" he muttered, before taking off in a hurry.

"Hey, come back here!" yelled Sonic as he and Tails ran after That Guy.

.

"Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!" laughed Eggman, while sitting in his Egg Carrier as it was lifting up a gargantuan emerald with its clawed attachment. "At long last, I have found the Master Emerald!" he cheered victoriously.

It wasn't long before three furry animals came running into this small secluded area of the Hidden Palace. While Sonic and Tails looked up at him in their recognizable defiance, the Guardian looked up at him in sheer horror.

"You… How… How did you…?"

"Oh, look who it is!" smiled the crazed doctor. "Sonic, Tails, and the knucklehead! I guess three is company, after all."

"No," gasped the Guardian. "This place… I- I never told you about this!"

"You didn't have to, my boy. I've been studying this place while you were giving our friends here the run-around."

"…You used me."

"Of course I did!" "Of course he did!" said Eggman and Sonic simultaneously.

"It wasn't hard," added the gloating villain. "It seems you echidnas are just too easy to manipulate."

That Guy's eye twitched. "You… you filthy, rotten egg!" the Guardian wasted no more time; he jumped straight up and glided onto his Master Emerald. "Give it back, you miserable cretin!"

"Finders, keepers!" growled Eggman as his Egg Carrier was trying to fly away. The echidna's weight was somehow greater than the machine could handle- or perhaps it was the emerald's weight holding it down. Perhaps it was both.

"You don't understand…" the Guardian felt the presence of an ancient spirit within the mystic gem; he howled sorrowfully, "That's my family in there!"

"Enough of this," huffed Eggman. He pushed a button, and out from the carrier came three hose-like tentacles.

"Guy, lookout!" Sonic called out.

But it was too late; before he knew it, the echidna was overwhelmed with electric shocks that shot straight to his bones. Everything turned white…

.

"…_Dude? …Dude! Wake up! I know you're_ still alive, I can hear you snoring."

The Guardian slowly opened his eyes; the throbbing in his head was overwhelming. "…uuugghh…."

"…Dude. Are you okay?"

As his eyesight came into focus, he realized the hedgehog was standing over him- except he had a certain look of pity and wonder in his eyes as opposed to animosity.

The echidna rubbed his forehead gently. "what…. What happened…?"

Tails was standing nearby. He replied, "Eggman… He zapped you, and he took that giant emerald."

"No… No! Not my Master Emerald…" That Guy struggled to his feet, with Sonic carefully supporting his singed arm.

"Whoa, whoa. Easy there, buddy, Easy," purred Sonic graciously. He was totally unprepared for the echidna's sudden grip on his fuzzy peach torso.

"You let him get away. You're super-fast, and yet you let him get away!"

"My bad," Sonic half-smiled, sweating a bead on the side of his face.

That Guy let go of his grip as he nearly fell off his wobbly knees. "Huh… G-get me to the transporter… It'll take me to Sky Sanctuary. I can cut him off there."

"Hold on, buddy. You're in no condition to fight."

"I am the Guardian… I must…"

"You must rest," coaxed Tails as he gently pushed Knuckles onto a felled pillar of marble to use as a seat. "We'll get you back your emerald."

"Yeah, cause we're the good guys," smiled the blue one. "And, we got the Chaos Emeralds. So, it should be no problem for us."

The Guardian was at a loss; his honor was at stake here, yet he was unfit to redeem himself. Yet these two creatures were at least kind enough to look after him. It made him pause to think. As he was thinking, his head tilted straight up, to the opening in the ceiling left behind by the fat guy's Egg Carrier. Sunlight was beaming down through that hole, which then bounced off sparkling stones in the room and illuminated both the chamber and the Grand Hall nearby.

The Guardian slowly lifted himself off his seat and carried himself into the Grand Hall, following the beams of sunlight. He couldn't resist the heavenly sparkle coming from a certain left wall… The Mural: A golden god, chasing down a monster with the Master Emerald in hand.

A light went on in the Guardian's head before looking back at the two strangers.

"…You are his enemies."

"Yeah," nodded Sonic and Tails.

"And he has the Master Emerald- the greatest source of power in all the world."

"Yes?"

The echidna walked up to Sonic, nearly tripping in the process, until they were practically nose to nose. "…Then you must defeat him. You now possess all of the Chaos Emeralds; and furthermore, by defeating me, you have earned the right to be their master. Use them now, to bring down that wretched Egg-Man and save my island before it's ripped apart."

Sonic smiled, "Hey you just coulda said 'Kill that fat bastard,' and I'd o'done it! But hey, you wanna be formal? I'll play along."

That Guy looked less than amused. "Just do what you have to… For all our sakes."

"Of course I will… Mister…?"

Oh, that was right; they never learned his name. How unfortunate; the Guardian had been alone and quiet for so long, he had completely forgotten his true name. But he had to be called something- That Guy and Guardian just wouldn't do.

He glanced down at the only two things that could never be taken away from him: his fists. "Call me… Knuckles."

"Knuckles? Sonic. This is Tails."

"Hi!" waved Tails pleasantly.

Knuckles nodded back. "…You better hurry. The transporter is that way."

"No tricks this time?"

He put his spiky mitten over his red chest. "No more tricks. I swear to it."

Sonic was gone in a blue flash, leaving Tails with his new… acquaintance.

"He may need our help, Knuckles. Can you make it to the transporter thingie?"

"I can, with your help… Thanks."

"I like your name, by the way."

"Thank you… I like it too."

.

And thus, the trio would go on to save the Master Emerald, Angel Island, and perhaps even the world.

As for Knuckles, he meant what he said when he told Sonic he was the official master of the Chaos Emeralds… What he didn't tell him, is that he- as Guardian of Angel Island- could challenge Sonic at any time he wanted, for the honor of winning back the emeralds as part of his tribes' traditions.

…But that would have to wait, for another Adventure.

.

**END…?**


	64. My Neighbor Big the Cat: Big and Cream

.

"**MY NEIGHBOR BIG THE CAT"**

**A Big and Cream Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

The pint-sized bunny could have chased Chaos around all day. She laughed and squealed when she saw her very first one, and in contrast the little blue creature jumped in fear and ran across the open grass field in terror. It was all fun and games for Cream, though. She couldn't help but forget that the forest beyond her farm was off limits, and that it was full of mysterious spirit creatures.

The little blue Chao jumped through a wall of brush, but when Cream tried to make the same jump she fell back as though it were made of stone. But even that didn't deter her; she was focused on catching the little marshmallow creature. Soon enough she found a small opening in the brush's roots, and crawled through to the other side of the barrier.

Any other person would have been overwhelmed by the trees that seemed to swallow up the atmosphere, but not Cream. Despite her age and size, she was fearless in the sight of such trees. All she focused on was that runaway Chao that was planting acorns in her backyard just mere minutes ago. As soon as she caught a glimpse of it running across tree roots, she bolted after it. Only until they came across one particularly massive oak tree did the chasing stop.

Cream had at last lost sight of her prey, when she came to a small opening in the great oak tree. Curiously, she peeked inside and noticed a tiny acorn- the same kind of acorn that the Chaos were planting. As she reached for it, Cream lost her balance and found herself tumbling down a very long and steep hole. She screamed as she fell, tumbling in a ball, until, she landed firmly on her bottom on a blanket of green moss.

The little bunny paused to regain her composure as small blue butterflies swirled around her head, before she realized she was trapped in a grand tree hollow. Sunlight trickled down like raindrops onto the greenery, but it was a very different color that drew in Cream- a massive ball of deep blue fur, to be precise. Whatever it was, it was rolled up in a ball in a crevice within the tree hollow, surrounded by moss. As Cream approached it, she realized that it was breathing.

Whatever this creature was, it was huge- surely anyone else would have run away, thinking it was a great predator. But not Cream. She just stood there in a trance-like state, and even dared to approach the creature's long, fluffy tail.

She touched it, and it winced.

She giggled, touched it again, and it started to flap as though irritated.

She laughed again, and grabbed hold of it like a teddy bear. Even as it was lifted straight up in the air, as its owner rolled onto his back, she squealed in delight.

The creature, as it turned out, was a cat- a very, very big cat. Cream climbed up on top of his bubble-shaped belly, un-phased by his bizarre presence, and stared intently at him until at last, he twitched his nose and opened his tiny yellow eyes.

At first, Cream was sure he would say something- a polite hello at the very least. But no, he lazily closed his eyes and continued to snore.

"…Hee-hee-hee," giggled Cream. It wasn't enough that she had just found a giant cat in the forest; she just _had_ to wake him up and talk to him. She tapped his nose, making him lick it in reaction. She giggled again, "Heh-HA!" And with that, she tapped his nose again.

Finally, he was moving…. "mmm….uugh…. ACHOO!"

The force of his sneezed was like that of a great gust of wind, blowing the tiny rabbit off his chest. But even this didn't scare her off; she climbed right back up onto his tummy and inched like a worm toward his chin. This time, he finally did wake up. Just barely.

She looked into his eyes, and he into hers.

"Hi, my name is Cream. What's your name?"

"….big…. the…. CA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AT," he yawned.

Mistaking this for a lion's roar, Cream roared back with a, "RAAAAAAAWR! Hahahahaha!"

Big's eyes widened, as though her roar scared him a little. "…My. Name. Is. Big."

"Big? …Your name is Big the Cat?"

He yawned, "….yeah."

"I live right next door, Big…. I like that name. Big." She laid down on her belly and started to scratch his nose; this seemed to soothe him to the point of drifting back to sleep. As she stared at his sleeping face, Cream herself was starting to feel lightheaded. In mere moments, she curled up on his chest and started to snooze the afternoon away with her new friend.

Meanwhile, the little Chaos that Cream was chasing peeked out from their hollow hiding places. Perhaps she wasn't a threat to them after all, they wondered. At least their caretaker, Big the Cat, was on good terms with her.

It would be another few hours before Cream's mother, Vanilla, started to look for her. She wouldn't have to look far, as Cream knew her way back home. But boy oh boy, did she have a story to tell her mother that evening! Vanilla would barely believe it, but there was indeed a Chao garden next door, along with a very big, and very lazy, cat neighbor.

.

**END**


	65. I Fought The Wall: Sonic

.

"**I FOUGHT THE WALL, AND THE WALL WON."**

**A Sonic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**.**

**Music of **_**"I Fought The Law,"**_

**Original song written by Sonny Curtis and The Crickets**

**Special lyrics sung by: Sonic the Hedgehog**

.

Tails plugged in the red guitar reserved for his hero. Knuckles stood by on drums, Tails on bass. Once Sonic was ready, Knuckles clicked his drumsticks.

"One, two, three four!"

As their music blasted through the room and into the halls of a white-walled facility, the team reminisced about past times when their fearless leader got a little crazier than usual…

.

"_I gotta save the day, but I can't run._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I tap my foot; 'Come on, we're not done!'_

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I just wanna run around and save the day,_

_But I need Player One._

_He's got nothing better to do anyway!_

_I fought the wall, and the wall won._

_I fought the wall, and the wall won._

_._

_Weird people touching you? 'That's no good.'_

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I read my own comics, just 'cause I could._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I smile at the camera, 'cause I know it's there;_

_I just don't know when it's on._

_My buddies think I'm crazy, I don't really care._

_I fought the wall, and the wall won._

_I fought the wall, and the wall won._

_._

_They call them Wisps, but that sounds dumb._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_Jumping on cars only seems fun._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I broke the wall, it's the fourth one._

_I tried to break through it, but it kicked my ass!_

_I guess my game was done._

_No one ever told me it was made of glass!_

_I fought the wall, and the wall won._

_I fought the wall, and the wall won._

_I fought the wall, and the wall won._

_I fought the wall, and the…"_

_._

Sonic would have finished his song from his hospital bed, even though he was covered from head to toe in bandages, but at last his strength gave out and he fainted. Knuckles and Tails were obliged to finish the song without him with their drum set and bass.

.

**END**


	66. The Cure For What Ails Ya: Tails, NICOLE

_My apologies for the slow updates in both the Sonic Drabbles and Sonic Warriors. I hope to get the latest chapter of the latter done by the end of next week, once my creative juices start flowing. In the meantime, enjoy this short story by request._

.

"**THE CURE FOR WHAT AILS YA"**

**A Nicole and Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by: Ultima**

.

_A-choo!_

**R-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-MBLE!**

_Achoo!_

**R-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-UMBLE! **

_Ahhh….. Ahhhhh…_

"Oh God, make it stop! Make it stop!" cried out a citizen of New Mobotropolis. But it was too late.

_-CHOO!_

**RUMBLE!**

It seemed like the end of the world; trees and walls were phasing in and out of existence, and the ground under everyone's feet faded from brick to dirt and back again. People kept dropping their food for lack of dishes, cars kept disappearing and reappearing, causing people to fall on their rumps in the middle of the street. But perhaps the most annoying part of all was the fact that those unfortunate people taking baths at the time were suddenly without running water, or bathtubs, or anything to cover themselves up from stunned onlookers.

This had been going on for nearly two hours; two hours was more than enough time to make people start shouting out in annoyance or worry. What they didn't know was that someone was already on the case, trying as quickly as he could to stabilize the city…

.

"Just hang on NICOLE," peeped Tails, as he typed furiously away at his computer back in the underground base of Knothole. "I'm uploading the anti-virus file right now."

"Please… hurry…" moaned the feminine voice coming from the computer. "I feel another one coming u-…. Uhh… _Aaahhhh_!"

.

The citizens of Mobotropolis braced themselves for another life-shattering earthquake…

But it never came.

.

"Aaaaahhh," sighed NICOLE in deep relief. "Upload is complete; the virus is eradicated."

"Awesome!" smiled Tails, cracking his knuckles in triumph.

Then suddenly, the computer voice purred, "Hurry back to the city, Tails. I have something for you."

"Oh? …Okay." He was puzzled, but followed the command.

.

In the newly reformatted Mobotropolis, citizens were still dazed and confused. Tails hurried along a path toward a garden leading up to the Lake of Rings, where he was sure Nicole would be waiting for him. And sure enough, there she was standing by the lake, in her fully fleshed-out semi-holographic lynx form.

The little fox smiled up at her. "Hey there Nicole, you look much better."

"I feel much better," smiled the would-be lynx. "Thanks to you."

"You said you had something for me?"

"I sure do."

She leaned down to his level to give the fox child a nice warm kiss on the cheek. "That's for fixing my system."

The fox boy couldn't help but blush and giggle. "Wow! Heh, you're welcome." He scratched his nose, as was common for him to try and cover up his shyness.

"I guess I have a lot of apologies to make to the poor people of Mobotropolis."

"Don't worry, I'll handle it. Besides, I think they're just glad the virus is gone… But you know who to go to if you ever get sick again, right?"

Nicole narrowed her eyes while she smiled. "Are you looking for another kiss, Tails?"

The little fox giggled before finally admitting, "…Maybe."

He blushed again.

.

**END**


	67. Be A Pal: Sonic and Knuckles

_This Drabble was inspired by a fan-art picture I found on Deviant Art called "How To Use Treasure Hunter," by Spyheg. Do yourself a favor and search it._

_Kudos to the artist "Spyheg" for the brilliant picture, and for the inspiration._

.

"**BE A PAL…"**

**A Sonic and Knuckles Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No!"

"I'll give you a chili dog."

"Those things are gross."

"I'll give you grapes!"

"Nice try."

"Two grapes!"

"You're not even gonna bribe me with a stock?"

"Fine. Ten stocks of grapes, with grape juice on the side!"

"…Seeded, or non-seeded?"

"Whichever you like. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?"

"Meh," growled the red echidna. "…You know, this might not even work. I can only detect Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald."

Sonic shrugged, "It'll be fun! Besides, what harm could it do, just trying it out?"

Knuckles took a deep breath, rolling his eyes. "…Oh, alright. Just this once."

Sonic was overjoyed; he jumped into the air with an exuberant "YES!"

The blue hedgehog followed the red echidna closely behind along the edge of the sandy beach. Knuckles kept his nose close to the ground like a bloodhound as it combed through the sand. They looked like quite the odd pair to any swimsuit-clad Mobian passing by; it made Knuckles blush with embarrassment, but Sonic just shot them a stern look with his eyes.

Knuckles was clearly not here to do this "one big favor" that Sonic begged of him, but if he wanted to be rid of the pesky hedgehog, his day at the beach would have to wait. Further and further he searched, tapping into his special tracking powers.

_Green shard… Green shard… Green shard…_

"Anything yet?" asked the impatient hedgehog.

Knuckles bared his teeth in annoyance. "Nothing. See, I told you this was stupid…"

_Green shard… Green shard… Green shard… Yellow shard…_

"Wait a minute."

"What?"

"I… I'm getting something. I'm actually getting something!"

"Alright, it's working! Where is it?"

"Hang on…"

_Yellow shard, yellow shard, yellow shard, green shard_

"Wait… Wait, I lost it…"

_Green shard, green shard, green shard, green shard, yellow shard_

"There it is again."

_Yellow shard, yellow shard, yellow shard, yellow shard, yellow-yellow-yellow-yellow_

"It's getting closer."

"Ooo, I can't wait!" cheered Sonic, clapping his hands in excitement. "Could be a Power Ring- no! Maybe a Ten-Ring Box! Oh please be a Ten-Ring Box!"

"Shuddup, Spiky! I'm concentrating!"

"Oh. Sorry!"

_Yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow-yellow-__**yellow-yellow-yellow**__-YELLOW-YELLOW-YELLOW-YELLOW-YELLOW-_ **RED!**

"I got it!" cheered Knuckles, wasting no time in shoveling sand with his massive paws. He dove into the sand like a dolphin, forming a ditch within seconds.

Sonic couldn't contain his excitement; he Spin-Dashed in a circle around Knuckles' ditch as earth and sand flew upward like a fountain from the echidna's pit. But soon enough, he tired of waiting and leaned over the edge of the now deep hole.

"Knux? Knux, you still down there?" His voice echoed. "Knux, buddy, where are you? …Don't tell me you dug all the way back to the shack! …..Knuckles, I swear, if you dug your way back home, I'm gonna-"

"Here it is," echoed back the voice of the treasure hunter.

Sonic stepped back, allowing the red echidna to climb back out of his deep hole; his right mitten was clutched. "Okay, Dreads," beamed Sonic with a salivated smile. "Whad'ya get? Wad'ya get?"

Knuckles opened up his mitten. "Fifty cents."

Sonic's smile dropped as he stared blankly at the two quarters. "….ohh…. Hmm…. We can get ice cream with that."

If there was a God, He was the one holding Knuckles back from punching Sonic in the face. Instead, he shoved the quarters into the hedgehog's hand; clearly Sonic was buying.

"There'd better be a grape flavor."

.

**END**


	68. Perfect Timing: SSBB

_WARNING: The following Drabble contains spoilers from the story mode of "Super Smash Brothers Brawl." You can skip this one if you'd rather see the real ending for yourself._

.

"**PERFECT TIMING"**

**A Sonic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

Set in _"Super Smash Brothers: Brawl"_

.

After countless hours of journeying, recruiting, and battling, it all came down to this: a final showdown with the god-like creature that called itself "Tabuu." In a dark, atmospheric void, on a small plate of rock which was all that remained of the world, the gang of heroes and villains were forced to ban together against this all-powerful foe.

They each took their turns: Mario and company from the Mushroom Kingdom, the bearers of the Triforce from Hyrule, the simian duo of Donkey and Diddy Kong, half of the team of Star Fox, two psychic children from "Earth: Mother," a Pokémon trainer and several Pokémon, and even a high-tech mercenary called Solid Snake, just to name a few. But as each one took up arms (or hands, or hammers in some cases), each one fell, one after another. But their efforts were not completely in vain; slowly the blue-skinned god was starting to weaken with every new turn in battle. His butterfly-like wings were shrinking and his confidence diminishing.

It was when the final combatant, the angelic Pit, shot his last arrow and then collapsed from exhaustion, that Tabuu was prepared to fire his last beam of pure energy at them, when-

_WHOOSH!_

A flash of blue came out of nowhere and shot straight through Tabuu's wings. Before the god could look to see who- or what- hit him, the blue flash fired again in an "X" pattern, shattering Tabuu's wings completely. Having finished his attack, the flash of blue juped into a spinning ball before landing on his feet, revealing himself to be a small blue hedgehog. Sonic then waved his finger at Tabuu as if to say, "Not in my house."

At that moment, Tabuu's power all but vanished, and he self-imploded in a flash of light. This caused his control over all of the worlds he had captured beforehand to go their separate ways. The universe was saved.

"Yeah!" cheered Sonic, while his fellow combatants looked on in both shock and surprise. "Did you see that? I took him out in just one shot! Totally pwned him! Woo! Man, I am too good! Hee-hee-hee-hahaha…. Heh…"

Everyone else just stared at him with dropped jaws.

"….What? …I did just take out the bad guy, right? …..I mean, it's not like he… Oh….."

It was clear that most of the brawlers- particularly the villains like Bowser and Ganondorf- were very disappointed in not being the ones to deliver the final blow. In their mind, Tabuu was all theirs. Bowser, Wario and Ganondorf were the first to storm off, followed shortly by Donkey Kong, Samus, Snake, and King Dedede.

Sonic sweat-beaded. "Eh-heh. I get it now, I get it. You guys… already beat the snot out of him, right? Yeah, okay. I did just save your lives just now, didn't I?"

Link and Zelda were now starting to leave, with the psychic boys close behind.

"…Didn't I?"

The Pokémon and their trainer/friend started to make their exit.

"Aw, come on you guys! If it makes you feel any better, I was having my own adventure, okay? Sorry I was so late; I mean I only had a whole world to save!"

"Hmph," huffed Meta Knight as he turned up his nose at the hedgehog while he walked off.

Soon, only the Mario brothers, Kirby and Princess Peach were left with Sonic, who was looking quite perplexed.

"Y-you did see it, right guys? I mean… Wasn't that cool when I… And he…? Uhh…"

Mario, being the generous person that he was, gave Sonic a soft pat on the back and a warm smile, assuring him that there was no bad blood between them. But then he felt the need to return to his homeland, and as he started to lead the heroes of Mushroom Kingdom down the flight of stairs nearby, Kirby waved goodbye to Sonic and followed after them.

Sonic was now alone, still pondering whether or not he made the right move. He scratched his quilled head.

"…Well, fine. Maybe next time the universe is about to get erased, I _won't_ show up. How'd you guys like that, huh?"

He had a sudden strange feeling that they would be alright with that scenario.

"I hate you guys."

.

**END**


	69. Forgiven, Not Forgotten: Bunnie, Antoine

_It's been said that one of the main reasons why Season 3 of _"Sonic (Saturday Morning)"_ was cancelled was due to more popular shows, particularly _"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"_…_

.

"**FORGIVEN, NOT FORGOTTEN"**

**A Bunnie and Antoine Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

Knothole Village had been almost eerily quiet for some time now. There hadn't been any reports of Robotnik or his troops of menacing robots, or even of his sniveling nephew, stirring up trouble back in Robotropolis.

It was just as well for Antoine, who felt he deserved a break after so much adventures as a tag-along for Sonic, Bunnie and Princess Sally. After all, he felt he wasn't fit for such dangerous missions, despite his officer rank. But still, even he got bored once in a while.

So that morning, after he had fixed himself some breakfast and a cup of orange juice, he settled into a big comfy chair while his breakfast was laid on a table by his side. Then he turned on the television.

Not many channels reached Knothole, due to its lack of satellite technology, but since the coyote had nothing better to do, he decided to search the channels to see what was on. It didn't take him long to get bored of one station after another, as the more curious he became the faster his channel clicker clicked.

"_And for the weather, it looks like it's gonna be another warn sunny day, with clouds rolling in-"_

**Bzzt!**

"_Hello my baby, hello me honey, hello my rag-time gal"_

**Bzzt!**

"_I want the truth!" "You can't handle the truth!"_

**Bzzt!**

"_And that's how you make a pot pie."_

**Bzzt!**

"_Get to ze choppa!"_

**Bzzt!**

"_Call now, and we'll double the offer!"_

**Bzzt!**

"_Go-go, Power Rangers!"_

"Oo, I like zis one," purred Antoine who had finally settled on a channel he liked.

"_Go-go, Power Rangers!"_

Antoine started to smile and bop his head up and down to te gnarly rock music that went along with the show's opening sequence.

"_Go-go Power Rangers, you Mighty Morphin Power Ra-"_ **WHAM!**

Antoine nearly fell out of his seat as he jumped back, yelping in shock.

He had covered his eyes out of instant fear, but soon he uncovered them to see that his television box was pulverized by a robotic left fist, with an extended silver arm attached to it. Only then did he remember that he had some friends over in his house, one of them being the cyber rabbit, Bunnie. He glanced around, and saw that it was indeed her arm that launched itself at the television.

For a moment, Bunnie just stared at the television with glazed eyes, as if the devil made her do it. But soon enough, she snapped out of it.

The coyote narrowed his eyes angrily at the rabbit, seeing as that was his only television and that fixing it would have taken Rotor at least three months, if ever.

Bunnie could only look back at him with a shrug and a coy smile. "Oops… Sorry, Sugah-Twan. Force o' habit."

.

**END**


	70. Catch Me If You Can: Sonic vs Shadow

_70 Drabbles, and *300+ reviews later…_

.

"**CATCH ME IF YOU CAN"**

**A Sonic vs. Shadow Drabble**

**By Snodin**

****Dedicated to Ghostkid33**

.

What a beautiful day this was for a race.

Clear sky, green grass, a warm breeze and an open road- what more could Sonic ask for? When Eggman wasn't up to his dirty tricks, or Tails and Knuckles were busy at their homes, or Amy wasn't stalking him, Sonic just liked to run. He ran harder and faster and longer than ever when he could, and this day was begging for it. How could he say no?

He tore through the countryside like a bat out of hell, as careless and free as the wind itself, when he finally met his match on one open highway in the heartland of Green Hill: Shadow the Hedgehog. The black and red "faker" was on his motorcycle, just cruising along as though he too just felt like taking a drive, not once suspecting that the blue blur would creep up on him. But creep up he did, and as Sonic passed him by he greeted him with a silent thumb to his nose.

Shadow grit his teeth; a challenge, eh? He revved up his motorbike, and popped a wheelie as he burned rubber.

Sonic grinned with delight, as the two of them sped up on the open road, one inching past the other with every second. But motorbikes have a limit, and Shadow's was reaching its, fast. Quickly, he made a sharp turn and veered off-road down a steep hill, catching Sonic off guard. He was purposely changing the race's direction, toward the forest area. The blue hedgehog followed up behind him, but couldn't calculate just where his rival was headed.

Shadow had a plan; if he couldn't out-ride the blue Faker, then he'd outmaneuver him instead. With some sharp twists of his wrists, he whipped around tree after tree, boulder after boulder, in a zig-zag formation that was meant to confuse Sonic. At first it worked; not only was Sonic losing his concentration, but the dirt kicked up by the motorbike made him lose sight of Shadow. He nearly collided with a giant rock, when he tucked himself in and spun through it like a bullet, smashing it to pieces in the process.

Shadow's bike was now starting to cough smoke; it was time to bail. He readied himself to eject just as he was flying toward a fallen tree log. With a jump, he flew upward in a spiky black ball while his motorbike met its end upon collision with the log. He really could care less for that vehicle; after all, he _was_ the Ultimate Life Form.

Now on his feet, Shadow's rocket shoes kicked in and he skated the rest of the way. Sonic wasn't phased- well, maybe a little- but this was still his race. He jumped through the burning log like a tiger through a burning hoop in a circus ring, still on Shadow's tail.

Soon enough, the two speedsters were neck and neck, jumping and spinning over fallen tree limbs, rocks and other debris. When they came to a small clearing in the woods, their spinning bodies began to collide with each other purposely, to veer each other out of control. But neither one gave way; they were like two bowling balls on a steady course, loop-de-looping and sliding down hills toward the edge of the forest.

Now came the real challenge: a field of tall green grass, too tall for the hedgehogs to simply glide over. They each made pathways through the field, neither path a straight one due to lack of direction. Sonic was especially losing momentum, as his shoes just weren't design to cope with this much density. Shadow, on the other hand, had a brilliant idea:

**FOOM!**

With a Chaos Spear, he burned a path through the field to give himself a surer footing. He could see another open road in the distance; the finish line, perhaps. His shoe rockets burned like crazy.

But it wasn't long before his rival came up with his own brilliant plan:

_POW!_

He had burrowed into the ground and found his way back out just underneath Shadow's feet, just as he was coming to the clearing. With both hedgehogs airborne from impact, they took one glance at each other before grasping each other's hands in a small wrestling match for the ground. Shadow managed to overpower Sonic, making him fall flat on his belly to cushion the dark one's fall. Shadow once again took the lead; it seemed like it was all over.

But then, empowered with sheer tenacity, Sonic began to rev up his legs in reverse while staying in place, as one winds up a toy. He kept doing this until Shadow was just three feet away or so from his finish line. Then, like a shot, **BANG!** He took off like a horizontal rocket, straight past Shadow like a bolt of blue lightning, and into the horizon within seconds.

Shadow paused, stunned by his opponent's sudden burst of energy, seeing as how he had left nothing but a blazed trail and swept up debris in his wake. It seemed like it was Game Over.

But Shadow didn't seem upset, instead he just cracked a smile. Sure, he had lost this race, but it was a worthy contest. And besides, this wouldn't be their last bout. Not by a longshot.

As for Sonic?

He just kept on running.

.

**END**

_***Thanks to everyone for the kind reviews, feedbacks, and requests, each of which made these 70 Drabbles possible. The series goes on, but I just wanted to share my sincere gratitude for your responses. They have been nothing if not a huge help.**_

_****This one goes out to Ghostkid33, who's waited for quite a while for me to do a Sonic vs. Shadow Drabble. He wanted there to be an actual fight, but I couldn't come up with a scenario for it unless there were some kind of funny ironic twist in the end (like, fighting over the last chilidog, for example), and I felt this rivalry deserved better than that. So I went with the good ol' fashioned race. Hope you like.**_


	71. Grenade: Fiona and Tails

_My apologies to those who thought my previous Drabble was the last one. I intend to keep on doing these until I just plain run out of ideas. Fortunately, the Sonic universe is big enough to keep my imagination running for quite some time._

_Which brings me to this next one. It's much darker than my usual stuff, but I felt the need to do it because this is how I truly feel about the Scourge and Fiona relationship. As cute as they are together, I do believe that it's only a matter of time before Fiona gets a taste of Scourge's true nature. In fact, I have a sneaky feeling that he going to abandon and/or hurt her in the comics very soon…_

.

"**GRENADE"**

**A Fiona and Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

"Why are you doing this?"

She flinched, as the latest bandage over her wrist caused her wound to pang.

"Because I care about you, that's why."

He was holding back a lot of anger toward her assailant, but he was long gone now so there nothing left to do but to tend to his wayward friend.

She sighed. "Tails… You really shouldn't."

"Shouldn't, what?"

"Care so much," frowned Fiona, with half of her body and head covered by a warm white blanket. Her fur was still drying from being left out in the rain.

It was pouring rain outside, and thundering; whenever the little fox heard a "Boom," he shuddered. But what made his skin crawl even more was the fact that his long-time crush, Fiona, had been beaten up in a fight with her boyfriend. He wasn't there when it happened, but he found her in the forest looking for water to clean her wounds. He was lucky enough that she agreed to follow him to his small hut to help dress the scratches and bruises properly. But even now, she was showing resistance to him.

"Why do you let him hurt you like this?" he had to ask.

The vixen cracked a coy smile. "Heh. Don't think this was all on my end; I gave as much as I got."

She was half-joking, but Tails wasn't giggling. "You need to get away from him, Fiona."

"This is none of your business," she hissed softly.

"I know, but you should know better than to stay with somebody who treats you like dirt…" He paused to take a breath. "…I just don't understand. Why do you put up with all this?"

"It's complicated…" His eyes gazed into hers until she admitted, "…I love him."

His heart sank. "You may love him, but he clearly doesn't love you. See this?" Gently, he raised her bandaged arm to her eyes, with one of them blackened from the squabble. "This isn't love, Fiona."

She jerked her hand away. "You don't know the first thing about me _or_ Scourge, so stop judging us."

In his frustration, he let out a deep sigh. But then his nerves cooled and he replied softly, "I'm just trying to help."

She cocked her head slightly to the left, trying to get away from his sincere blue eyes. She sighed, "Kid… You're too nice for your own good, you know that?"

Tails scratched his nose. "I dunno what you mean by that, but I'm not just a kid anymore. I'm almost twelve."

Fiona cracked a smile- a genuine smile this time. "You're cute…" Then she yawned and stretched.

Seeing as how she was still weak, Tails gulped and bravely said, "Look, I know you wanna get out of here as soon as you can, but could you at least spend the night here? At least rest, so you can heal up."

Fiona lowered her bruised head and replied, "…Alright. Just for the night."

Quickly, Tails gathered up as many blankets as he could find to form a bed for his houseguest. He even treated her to a bowl of soup before she had finally settled down.

With her fur dried and her wounds bound, Fiona was finally ready to call it a night. She curled up in the pile of soft, warm blankets until only her head stuck out. She laid her head on its right side to gaze at the raindrops pounding at the window.

"…Fiona?"

"Hmm?"

"…It'll be okay with me if you come back here whenever you like… I mean, just in case things between you and Scourge get bad again…"

The vixen paused in deep thought, until she said, "…I'll think about it, kiddo."

"Okay. I'll leave you alone now… Goodnight…"

She could hear him tiptoe away, with the creaks in his steps getting softer and softer, further and further…

"Fiona?" his voice crept from the far end of the room.

"Yes?"

"…Are you gonna go back to Scourge after this?"

She could hear the hurt in his voice, but tried to ignore it. "Like I told you before, I love him. One little squabble's not going to change anything."

The little fox frowned, "…I hope you know what you're doing. Really, I do. 'Cause if he ever hurts you again… S-sorry, I'll. I'll leave you alone now. G'night."

She heard him slowly shut the door.

Her eyes turned back to the soaked window, with the thunder and lightning looming beyond the walls and ceiling. But even if this was going to be a long night with very little sleep, she couldn't help but feel safe in knowing that Tails, her one true friend, was around. This was indeed the first time in a very long time that she felt so safe. And yet, this was a feeling she did not deserve. Tails was a friend she did not deserve.

And in knowing that, she shed a tear.

.

"_**I would go through all this pain,**_

_**Take a bullet straight through my brain,**_

_**Yes, I'd die for you, baby,**_

_**But you won't do the same."**_

**-Bruno Mars, "Grenade"**

_**.**_

**END**


	72. Catch and Release: Shadow and Cream

_*Sigh* I'm gonna miss summer… _

_By the way, is it Cream the Rabbit, or Cream the Bunny? I'm going with Rabbit for now, just to be safe._

.

"**CATCH AND RELEASE"**

**A Shadow and Cream Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by Tails Is FLUFFY**

.

"Mister Shadow, Mister Shadow!"

The Ultimate Life Form was passing through the neighborhood on a warm summer night, when he was unexpectedly greeted by the smallest and most innocent of creatures, Cream the Rabbit.

"Mister Shadow! How nice of you to drop by," she smiled as she ran to his side.

"I was just passing through… Is something wrong?"

"Would you stay for just a little while? We're catching fireflies."

His ears twitched. "Fireflies? Why, did they attack you? Have they robbed someone?"

She giggled at his naiveté. "Oh no, they're not bad guys. We're just playing Catch and Release. Wanna play with us?"

Oh, it was just a game- that was a relief. But he wasn't in a playful mood, as usual. He turned his head away, when he heard the laughter of other children nearby. It was enough to intrigue him. "Well, I guess I'll watch."

"Great! You can be on my team," cheered Cream, as she grabbed his arm and led him toward the park nearby.

As insects were as sentient as any other animals, the fireflies in question were youngsters like Cream and Charmy. In fact, Charmy was also part of the team chasing after the shiny bugs, along with Tails and two nameless dog children. It was five against five, in a game similar to tag, except it involved two soccer nets stacked up against each other to form a big net. The goal was to capture everyone from the opposing team, and so far Cream's team was winning.

"I got you, Sparkler!" shouted Charmy who caught his firefly friend in mid-air. He then pulled the female firefly by her arm to the net, adding three to the collection. As he watched the kids blink in unison, he smiled, "See, this is why you guys are so fun to play with." He stared at their blinking abdomens as though mesmerized.

"Isn't this fun, Mister Shadow?" asked Cream as she stayed by his side.

Shadow was silent at first; he was focused on the netted fireflies. They weren't the least bit afraid, but seeing them entangled just reminded him of the time when he himself was bottled up in a capsule, waiting for decades to be released.

Noticing the frown on his face, Cream became worried. "Mister Shadow? Is everything alright?"

"Hmm?" He snapped out of it. "Oh. Sorry, I was just… thinking."

"The game's almost over, now te real fun part happens."

"What do you mean?"

"Just watch."

It was apparent now that the fireflies purposely let themselves be captured, and for one special reason. When all five were in the soccer nets, the other children gathered around them, with Tails on one side of the net and Charmy on the other.

"Ready? On three: One… Two… Three!"

Tails and Charmy pulled back the nets, and the firefly children took off into the air at the same time, spinning around each other with their abdomens blinking like crazy. It looked like a bright green fireworks display. Cream, along with the rest of the children, cheered at the sight of flashing green lights.

Shadow smiled at last.

"See?" grinned Cream. "Wasn't that fun, Mister Shadow?"

"You were right, Cream… The best part was the release."

_**.**_

**END**


	73. Three's A Crowd: Silver and Blaze

.

"**THREE'S A CROWD"**

**A Silver and Blaze Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by Alyssacookie**

.

They had proven themselves to be a formidable team, both in the Olympic Games and The World Grand Prix races. She was a furious runner, he was a telekinetic who could fly. But Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat were a duo in a world where teams were often made up of trios. While Blaze felt the least bit threatened by this fact, Silver was a different story. He felt like he and Blaze needed that third element in their party, a character of Power.

He met with her at a beach on one of Marine's islands; by the time he had gotten there, she was already lounging about on a long chair with an umbrella blocking out the sun, wearing an indigo swimsuit and dark sunglasses over her eyes. Because of her sunglasses, she wasn't aware at first that her spiky-haired friend had brought along a very long piece of paper, much like a shopping list.

"Blaze! H-hey, Blaze! Is this a bad time?"

"Oh hey, Silver, I was just… What is that?"

"Oh, this? Okay, here's the thing. You know how all the other teams have three members- a runner, a flier, and a strong fighter?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well, I was thinking."

"There's a first."

"Ha, ha. Anyway, you an' me team up a lot, right? I figured you're the Speed type and I'm the Flight type since I- You know what? Now that I'm mentioning it, we don't even have a team name, do we?"

"Does it really matter, Silver?"

"Maybe we can be Team Destiny, or Team Sol, or…"

"Or Team 'We Only Show Up When Players Unlock Us.'"

Silver's eyes narrowed. "This is important to me."

Blaze smirked, "I know, I was just teasing. So go on."

"We'll talk about team names later; right now we need to recruit a Power-type person. I thought about all the people I know that might be available and wrote down their names. First up: Mighty the Armadillo."

Blaze frowned, "I think he's got his own team already. Plus, he's off on his own adventures."

"Okay, that one was a long shot, I know. But I thought I'd mention him anyway. How about Jani-Ca?"

"Who's that?"

"I met her in an alternate future- she's the daughter of Knuckles the Echidna and Julie-Su. I dunno just how strong she is, but she's got a powerful sword at least."

"Hmm, I dunno. Keep going."

"Next, I wrote down Bark the Polar Bear."

"He's too shady to be trusted- plus he's got that wacky duck friend."

"Oh, right. I forgot about Bean."

"How do you forget a duck that throws bombs at random?"

Out on the ocean, Marine the Raccoon whizzed by on a dinghy.

Silver noticed her and smiled, "Hey, that gives me an idea."

"Nah, Marine's a fighter, not a lover."

"Yeah, okay," sighed Silver. "How about Honey the Cat?"

"HA! She didn't even make it to the final cut. Pass."

"Nack the Weasel?"

"Pass."

"Shade the Echidna?"

"Pass."

"Big the Cat?"

"You're. Kidding. Right?"

He gulped, "That's a no, then… uhh… umm… B-Bunnie Rabbot?"

"Silver," Blaze finally sighed.

"Not me, I'm the Flight-type, remember?"

She gave him a look.

"…Oh."

"Silver, we're just fine the way we are. Besides… I'd feel a little strange having to share a team with someone I barely know. I'd much rather be with someone I can count on, someone I can trust. Someone like you."

Silver was puzzled. "But… y-you've already got me."

Blaze smiled. "I know. That's why I think we're perfect." Before he realized it, she leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on his cheek, making his face flush and his top hairs poof.

Content with her decision, Blaze leaned back in her chair, watching her small friend Marine whiz by once more on her dinghy.

"…Can we call ourselves Team Awesome?"

"Give it a rest, Silver."

.

**END**

**.**

***Jani-Ca belongs to Archie; see Silver's Saga of "Sonic Universe" to see how they met.**

****Search the game "Sonic the Fighters" to find out more on Honey the Cat.**

*****Shade the Echidna can be found exclusively on the game "Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood"**


	74. Monster: Sonic the Werehog

"_I feel it deep within_

_It's just beneath the skin_

_I must confess, I_

_Feel like a monster._"

-Skillet, "Monster"

"**MONSTER"**

**A Sonic the Werehog Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by DanceDream**

_Set in "Sonic Unleashed"_

.

Great. The sun was setting again.

Sonic had gone a day and almost two nights now with this newfound power, forged from the extraction of the Chaos Emeralds while in his Super form. By day, he was the same old Sonic- small, blue, hedgehoggy, and fast. He loved being fast. But now when night fell, he changed into the Werehog- big, dark, fluffy, long-armed, fanged, and slow. He hated being slow.

Actually, he hated everything about his Werehog form; it made him look scary. His own friends might not have recognized him, and if they didn't, they might have fled in terror. That was the worst part of it, being looked at as something monstrous. On that night, as he stared off blankly at the darkening horizon, he was really starting to wonder…

"…_Am_ I a monster?"

He didn't mean to say that out loud. Somebody heard him.

"What do you mean, Sonic?"

Sonic turned around. It was Chip, his new friend. Chip was a weird-looking guy, and acted even weirder. He might have been a Chihuahua or something, had it not been for his fairy wings. But at least when he looked at the Werehog, he didn't shy away.

"Who called you a monster?"

"Oh… Uh, nobody, Chip."

The Chihuahua-fairy-thingie fluttered to the hedgehog's side. "Is it because of the big Monster Guy you turn into at night?"

"It's just a fluke. It has to be… I'm not really like that guy every night."

"But I thought you were used to it by now."

Sonic closed his eyes in deep thought. "I thought so too… It's just weird; being slow and aggressive, and super-strong… That's just not me."

Chip was confused. "But, it_ is_ you. Isn't it?"

Sonic smirked. "I know it's _me_, but it's not… Me-me."

"Oh…" Poor Chip, he had just made his first friend in perhaps ever, and already he was feeling sorry. "Well," he replied with a smile, "if it's all the same, I like both you's. The You-you, and the Were-you."

Sonic turned to his little friend and smiled back. "You know, Chip? That does make me feel a lot better."

The sun's last light vanished, and Sonic winced in pain. He doubled over, groaning, when in a deep blue flash…

"RAAAH!"

Chip did an aerial backflip. "Whoa! Speak of the devil. Err, were-devil?"

The Werehog's nose twitched with his heightened sense of smell. "Hmm," he hummed in a deep, gruff voice.

Chip fluttered in front of his face. "…Well?"

"Still weird."

"Don't worry, when the sun comes back you'll be You-you again."

"Heh. Yeah, you're right. Well, I guess we better stop moping and get moving."

Even while running on all fours, the Werehog form was far too slow for Sonic's liking. As he and Chip made their way to and through the city, all he kept thinking was how long it would be until sunrise, when he can finally feel free again.

"Just think Sonic," chirped Chip along the way. "It might not be long before you get used to this new you. That'll be something, right?"

The Werehog forced a smile. "Yeah… It'll be something."

But that was just the problem. He was truly afraid that he really would get used to it.

.

**END**

**.**


	75. Monster?: Amy and the Werehog

.

"**MONSTER?"**

**An Amy and the Werehog Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Sonic Unleashed"(Again)_

.

Night Three.

By now he had already reunited with Tails, then met his new friend and ally Professor Pickle, and he was pleasantly surprised with how well they've taken to his new form. In fact, they hardly seemed to notice a change in him at all, and that sort of confused Sonic the Werehog. Did this mean that _everyone_ was okay with it?

Then he remembered: Amy. Surely _she_ would run in terror of this monstrous new form. And in a strange way, he was actually hoping she would. Not only would it get her out of his hair for once, but it would also assure him that the "were" form was out of place. And so, when the moment presented itself, he put it to the test.

"Found you, Sonic!"

For once, she got him right… except he was in Werehog form. Regardless of his obvious change in physicality, she embraced his torso.

"Aw, Sonic!" she cooed. "I've been looking for you for-EVER!"

He snarled at her. "Hey, lemmie go."

Chip, his constant companion, looked as puzzled as well he should have. Sonic's efforts to scare off the bubblegum-pink she-hog were fruitless.

"Hee-hee-hee! You're crazy if you think you can get away from Amy Rose!" That was strange, there was so much fluffy fur there on his chest. She finally took a step back and realized what she was hugging. She screamed!

_Finally,_ thought Sonic, _someone is making sense of this-_

"I'm so sorry!" cried out Amy in embarrassment. "I just completely mistook you for someone else."

"Huh?" he gasped in his gruff voice. She wasn't afraid? But… how could that be!

"That is so strange," she thought aloud. "I could have sworn it was him."

_How could she be so…_ he started to think, but then his chain of thoughts stopped as she turned to him with a soft smile.

"Anyway, I'm so sorry. See you later!"

As she ran off, he stretched his arm out to try and catch her. "Uhh…"

_Wait! Come back! I haven't scared you yet!_

"Well, that was weird," said Chip while hovering around nearby. "How come that girl didn't know you were you, Sonic? …Well, I guess you are kinda [big], and, uh, [you've got fangs]."

"Meh," hummed Were-Sonic, as he started to slump away in disappointment. _Bad timing, Chip._

"Oh, uh… H-hey, wait! Don't worry, you only look scary, Sonic!" The little winged Chihuahua thingie followed him, trying to cheer him up. "…Chocolate! You want some chocolate?" But he was totally missing the point.

Sonic wasn't upset because he was scary; he was upset because apparently he _wasn't _scary.

.

**END?**

**.**


	76. You Again: Sonic and Amy

_Sorry that the last one was so short, and basically a complete retelling of a cut scene. Here's the conclusion I was aiming for. Sonamy fans, rejoice. ^_^_

.

"**YOU AGAIN"**

**A Sonic and Amy Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set just after "Sonic Unleashed"_

.

The sun was down, the stars were out, and Sonic was still a hedgehog.

What a joy it was so look up at the stars in his own flesh and fur, no longer a hulking beast with super strength and stretchy arms. Gone were the fangs, the claws, the spikes on his shoes that seemed pointless since he could barely run in them. He was free at last… But he knew that freedom would come at a price: Chip was now gone too.

As it turned out, the winged Chihuahua thingie was actually half of an earth god, Gaia. Once the world was back to its original state (before Eggman tore it up), so too was the god. Chip was back where he belonged. But already, Sonic was starting to miss him.

"There you are!" giggled a familiar voice.

He didn't bother to turn around; he knew it was Amy. And for once, he let her embrace him, just content in knowing that everything was back to normal.

With her eyes closed, the she-hog nuzzles his velvety chest. "Awww, I love this new Werehog form, Sonic. Mmmm… soooo fluffy…." Then she realized, all the extra fluff that she was hoping to cuddle was suddenly gone. "Huh?" she peeped as she took a step back. "Oh, Sonic! You're… you again."

Sonic smirked. "What were you expecting, Amy? A big, giant monster?" He then mimicked his old self by holding up his arms in attack mode. "Rawr!"

Amy just giggled. "Aw Sonic, you weren't all that scary."

"Really? Geeze, I guess I was the only one who wasn't okay with it."

"You mean being a Werehog?"

"Exactly. I mean, it _was_ useful when it counted, but I didn't want it to be permanent. As I told Chip one night, it wasn't Me-me."

Amy blinked. "Mimi? …Oh, I get it." She then smiled, "Don't worry, we all knew it was still you on the inside."

He smiled warmly. "Thanks, Ams."

She ran a finger down his chest. "…Still, I'm gonna miss hugging all that soft fur."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Maybe you should call Silver."

She just laughed.

He laughed too.

Yes, things were definitely back to normal.

.

**END (For real this time)**

**.**


	77. If Knuckles Looked Up: Fans vs Haterz

**WARNING: The following Drabble may offend some readers. It is deliberately meant to poke fun at the dark side of the Sonic fandom. Viewer discretion is advised.**

_This poem's title is in reference to when, in _"Sonic 3 and Knuckles,"_ Sonic and Tails were hiding just above the first Special Stage gate in Mushroom Hill Zone, where we see Knuckles coming out of hiding and shutting the trap door. He didn't see them there, and so the game continued…_

.

"**IF KNUCKLES LOOKED UP"**

**A Sonic Fandom Poem**

**By Snodin**

.

If Knuckles looked up, he would have seen Sonic

And if he caught Sonic, it would have been catastrophic.

The hero would have fallen with the villain won the day,

There would be no more Sonic games for all of us to play,

There wouldn't be a second generation underway,

It never would have happened, if Knuckles looked up.

.

If Knuckles looked up, he would have seen Sonic

And if he caught Sonic, that would have been moronic.

We wouldn't get to argue over Sonic's eye color,

Or if Amy, maybe Sally would have been his perfect lover,

Or pick between voice actors; who's the best of any other?

It never would have happened, if Knuckles looked up.

.

If Knuckles looked up, he would have seen Sonic

And if he caught Sonic, he'd destroy something iconic.

There'd be no jokes of catching rings or foxes that could fly,

No parodies or satires of hedgehogs getting high,

And no one drawing Tails as a girl and not a guy.

It never would have happened, if Knuckles looked up.

.

If Knuckles looked up, he would have seen Sonic

And if he caught Sonic, I would pass the gin and tonic.

'Cause I would never draw my favorite hero up in drag,

Or draw that (insert yaoi) pic of which I always brag,

Or bitch and moan and scream all day 'bout next-gen Sonic's lag.

It never would have happened, if Knuckles looked up.

.

If Knuckles looked up, he would have seen Sonic

And if he caught Sonic, it would have been quite ironic.

We wouldn't get a stupid urban myth about a doll,

And none would call 2006 the worst year overall.

There wouldn't be a fan-base needing such an overhaul.

God damn it, Knuckles. You should have looked up.

.

**END**


	78. Sticks and Stones: Sonic vs Jet

_Look for a small inside joke involving _"Sonic Universe."_ If you can find it, kudos to you!_

.

"**STICKS AND STONES"**

**A Sonic vs. Jet Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**With credits to VioletAssassin and Ghostkid33**

.

It was just those two now, the fastest Riders on the track, neck and neck. They were matched in both speed and maneuvering; nothing could shake them. Which meant that there was only one way left for them to break each other's stride: Straight-up, old fashioned bullying.

"Hey, you're doing better than I expected, Sonic the Hedgehog!" squawked Jet the Hawk.

Sonic grit his teeth. "You know, Jet, you _could_ just call me Sonic. It's what all my friends call me by."

"Well, whoever said I was your friend, Sonic the Hedgehog?"

"Seriously! It's really getting annoying!"

"Ooh. Am I punching a nerve, Sonic the Hedgehog?"

"…Okay, you wanna play that game? Fine, here comes Player Two." Sonic flipped his extreme gear board so that he could soar over Jet before he shouted, "How'd you like that move, Jet the Parrot?"

The green bird's eyes bulged. "H-HEY! I'm not a parrot, I'm a hawk!"

"Ooo, sorry. I couldn't tell from all those vibrant feathers of yours, Jetlag."

"It's Jet! Just Jet!"

Sonic snapped his fingers as he sang, _"When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dying day!"_

The hawk's feathers started to ruffle. "Think you're so smart huh, Prickle-face Porcupine?"

"Oh come on! I expected better from you, Jettison Q. Hawkington!"

"Where did you get that name?"

"Let's just say a little birdie told me. By the way, he called and he wants his color scheme back."

"Grr… Hey, watch it!" Jet was so focused on the fight that Sonic caught the opportunity to cut him off as they came to a sharp left turn. This only fueled the rogue's rage, and he kicked his board into high gear.

"Okay wise guy," hissed Jet as he caught up to Sonic. "How about this one? Chronic the Dopehog?"

"Better. How about Jetty-Coat Junction?"

"Sonic the Slug-hog."

"Greedy McBirdbrain."

"Sonic the Windmaster Wannabe."

"Jet the Master of Breaking Wind."

"Mister Needlemouse!"

"Jetson, son of George!"

"…I don't get it."

"It's a reference to an old show Snodin used to watch."

Thank you, Mr. I Broke the Wall, It's The Fourth One.

"Moronic the Bore-hog! How d'ya like that?"

"I like it, Jet the Dodo! Get it? Cause you can't really fly!"

"Okay, THAT DOES IT!"

In his anger, Jet became careless and tried to ram his board into Sonic's. All that did was make Sonic do a jump during a ramp launch. It slowed the hedgehog down, but he remained in the race.

The finish line was soon moments away, and while Jet was still confused over Sonic's behavior, he had once again lost focus on the race. This caused his gear to slow down, while Sonic boosted his board forward.

"I got one more for ya," smiled Sonic as he neared the finish. "Jet the Loser!"

He flew past the finish line with a great _"VROOM!"_

Afterwards, Jet would complain to the judges about how Sonic was cheating because he kept dogging him during the race. To which, Sonic would argue, "It's not cheating, it's strategizing."

Ultimately, Sonic won fair and square.

So disappointed in this was Jet, that he was found stomping his feet and clenching his fists on the sidelines, vowing, "Oooo, just wait. I'll get him. I'll get that….. guy." Too bad, he was all but fresh out of names.

.

**END **


	79. May I Be Excused?: Knuckles

_Another cut scene gone awry…_

.

"**MAY I BE EXCUSED?"**

**A Knuckles Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)"_

.

In the not-so-heavily-guarded warehouse of Soleanna, Sonic was reunited with an old friend: Knuckles the Echidna. He was standing by with Tails, holding a red disk in his mittened hand.

"Knuckles," smiled Sonic, who was just glad to see a familiar face.

Knuckles wasn't smiling; in fact, he looked quite puzzled. He held out the disk and replied, "I saw Eggman on the outskirts of the city… He wanted me to give this to you." With that, he tossed the red disk to Sonic.

Neither Sonic nor Tails questioned how or when it was that Knuckles came in contact with Dr. Eggman; all that mattered was unlocking the message of the disk. As Sonic stared into it, a small hologram of Eggman himself appeared in its center.

"_Sonic the Hedgehog,"_ beamed Eggman's likeness. _"If you want me to return the princess, you must give me your Chaos Emerald. Meet me at my base in White Acropolis."_

With the transmission over, the disk was rendered useless. Sonic then tossed it back to Knuckles who, without proper fingers, dropped it clumsily.

"Heh, he's pretty cocky," smirked the echidna. "….Okay, my job is done. Can I go home now?"

Tails ignored him and turned to Sonic. "It's most definitely a trap."

"Seriously," frowned Knuckles, "I don't think you guys need me anymore. You mind if I head back to Angel Island?"

"I don't think Eggman will honor his agreement," Tails continued.

"See, there's this thing called the Master Emerald. I dunno if you heard of it, but I'm kind of responsible for it."

"I'm going," Sonic replied to Tails.

Both Tails and Knuckles looked at him with disbelief. "Sonic?" frowned Tails in worry.

"Since Eggman went to the trouble of telling me where Elise is…"

"Dude, take it from a guy who's been tricked before," said Knuckles, "don't be an idiot."

"I think I should thank him personally."

"Okay, fine! Go ahead and run straight into his trap. See if I care! I'm going home and taking care of my island and pray that nobody's stolen the Master Emerald while I've wasted my time here."

"ALRIGHT, LOOK!" Sonic finally snapped. "I've just saved the princess like, three times already, only to lose her again and again. I've spent hours running around in this city talking to complete strangers just so I can re-learn my special attacks, had to find a captain which turned out to be the FIRST guard I talked to all along, had to put up with some punk with psychic powers who constantly screams 'It's no use, it's no use!', AND had to waste a lot of time and energy to knock down piles of random crates! I don't like this place, I don't like being in this place, but if I have to put up with all this just to save the world, then dammit I'm gonna do it. And now, SO DO YOU!"

At first Knuckles was speechless, but then, "…My God. This is a fanfic, isn't it? We're in a bad fanfic, aren't we?"

Sonic sighed, "I wish I could say it, Knuckles. I truly wish I could…"

"…Why does SEGA hate us?"

"I don't know, Knuckles. I truly don't know."

The echidna could only shrug and shake his head. This was gonna be a looooong game.

.

**END **


	80. Perspective: Classic Sonic

_Yes, I know the buzz-saws are in Modern mode only, but think of the reaction they'd get from Classic Sonic._

.

"**PERSPECTIVE"**

**A Sonic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Sonic Generations"_

.

**City Escape- Classic Sonic Mode**

Young Sonic was enjoying his visit to the future, rolling down steep hills and jumping across construction sites and cutting through lush green parks without a care in the world…. And then, that truck showed up.

You know that truck; the one G.U.N. hired to capture Sonic during the time they thought he was a criminal. Except now it was super-sized and armed with a battering ram on its grill. While poor little Sonic was running for his life, the truck driver was having the time of his…

.

He looked like a teenager, with sunglasses and a backwards baseball cap covering grungy blonde hair. "Yeah man," smiled the driver on his cell phone. "I am totally digging this new ride. You guys did a great job in revampin' it for the return of that little blue dude… What was that? Oh yeah, I got 'im. He's a lot smaller than what I remember, but whatevs. I'll get 'im this time."

.

"WAAA-HA-HA-HA-HELP ME! HEEEEEEEELP ME! TAILS! TAILS, WHERE ARE YOU WHEN I NEED YOU? AAAUUUGH!"

.

The driver was head-banging to the city's newly remixed theme song, when… "Dude… Is that… Is that 'Endless Mine' I'm hearin'? Sweet! _Da-da-da da-da, da-da-da-da…_"

.

"I wanna wake up now! I wanna wake up now! I wanna wake up now!"

.

"WooooOAH," yelped the driver as he nearly lost control of his truck while jamming to the music. In his carelessness, he mowed down a section of a construction site and was forced to pull away from his target.

.

While missing his jump to the higher ground, little Sonic saw that the mad truck was veering away. He paused to catch his breath.

"…oh man… Oh geeze, that was close… huh…. huh… Ugh… I'm just glad that's all ov-MOTHER OF GOD!"

He jumped just in the nick of time before getting crushed by the returning truck. The chase continued.

.

"Hmm... Never saw this button before. Wonder what it does." He pushed the red button on his steering wheel.

.

From the top of the truck came mechanical arms with gigantic buzz-saws attached to them, all lowered toward the little hedgehog.

.

"Damn! ...Note to self: Get on the show 'Pimp My Ride' more often!"

.

"This isn't fun anymore! I wanna go home now! Seriously! I liked it better when it was just one big fat guy trying to kill me!"

.

"Wheeeeeeeee!"

.

"MAMA! MAAAAAA-MAAAAAAAA!"

.

From atop a roof in a safe distance, modern Sonic and Tails were watching the scene unfold. They couldn't hear all of little Sonic's cries over the trumpeting roar of the G.U.N. truck's engine.

"Gee Sonic," frowned a concerned Tails, "you think he's okay? I mean, we should jump in and help. Right?"

Big Sonic stared intently at his younger self and smiled. "…Nah, he can handle it. Lookit him, he must be having a ball."

"_Make it stop! Make! It! Stoooooop!"_

With the screams still blurred by the truck's engine, Big Sonic smiled confidently. "He just doesn't know when to stop."

Later on, he'll wonder what the punch in the eye was for.

.

**END **


	81. The New Chid In Town: Knuckles and Tails

_I've had a dream recently, about Knuckles taking to city life like the ultimate newbie, not knowing what subways were or what cars were for. It seemed like the perfect premise for the following Drabble._

.

"**THE NEW 'CHID' IN TOWN"**

**A Knuckles and Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by Infamousplot**

.

He left him alone for only two seconds. Two seconds was enough time for Knuckles to wander off on his own, driven by curiosity, while Tails was buying chilidogs from a street vendor. When he turned around, he realized that his new friend had vanished.

"Knuckles? ….Knuckles?" he gasped. But he was already gone. "…Oh, great. Sonic's gonna kill me."

.

Despite having his own carnival back on Angel Island, Knuckles was completely new to city life. According to his new friend Tails, this "Starlight Zone" was not the work of Doctor Eggman, though with all of its machinery and lack of plant growth, he would have easily guessed otherwise. Such a wondrous place _had_ to be explored.

Humans were also a new thing to Knuckles; he stared up at them with the same confused look as they did when passing each other by. But that would turn out to be the most harmless moment of this adventure.

_Vroom!_ A car zipping by made him jump; it sounded like a Badnik! But then Knuckles had to remind himself of what Tails told him earlier: "They're not Badniks, they're just cars. Cars are okay." He took a deep breath before venturing on.

In moments, Knuckles came to his first stop at an electronics store. In its window, television sets were stacked up on one another, almost like a pyramid. At first, the echidna thought they were magical orbs showing him the past, present and future (because the commercials were going by), but then the monitors focused on images of people- it was a soap opera.

The longer Knuckles looked at the televisions, the more he began to realize that the people inside of them weren't going anywhere. "…They're trapped," he gasped. "Eggman must have trapped them inside these… these capsules!" He raised a fist and declared, "I'll save you!"

**BAM!**

In a puff of smoke, the window display was completely demolished. The crash was enough to stun any passersby and stare at the red furry creature sitting in a pile of glass and metal. Knuckles looked around to see if his rescue was a success… "They must have run off already," he guessed.

"Hey!" screamed the store clerk as he ran to the scene. "What's the big idea, you crazy porcupine?"

Knuckles had no time to explain himself, as other humans were now shouting furiously at him. Panic stricken, he spun himself into a ball and dashed out of there.

.

"Knuckles? …Knuuuuu-cklllllllllllles!" called out Tails as he floated from block to block by his spindly tails.

"'Scuse me," he called to a lady at a crosswalk. "Have you seen a red echidna anywhere?"

"What's an eekidna?" she replied.

"He kinda looks like a hedgehog, but with droopier spikes."

"Hmm… Nope, doesn't sound familiar." She walked on.

Tails would question other people in a similar way, but they would all give him different answers, none of which would prove useful.

"Have you seen a red guy with spikes?"

"You mean Sonic? I thought he was blue."

"I'm looking for an echidna."

"I don't have kids, sorry."

"Have you seen a red guy with dreadlocks and spikes on his fists?"

"Oh my god, a talking flying fox! Honey! Honey, get your camera!"

"Ugh…. KNUCKLES! WHERE ARE YOU?"

.

In the town square, meanwhile, Knuckles was sitting by a fountain when he felt the urge to save yet another human life from Eggman's treacherous machines.

**POW!**

"Mommy! Mommy! That red dog just broke my toy car!"

"I-I thought it was a Badnik. Honest mistake."

"How dare you!" shouted the child's mother as she swung her purse at Knuckles. "Bad dog! Bad! Shoo!"

"I'm not a dog."

"Just go away, you're a menace! Go, get out of here! Shoo!"

Knuckles had no choice but to retreat. It was around that time when homesickness started to sink in.

He retreated to the one place that looked remotely like a jungle, a local city park. As he sat on a tree limb, he started to wish he was back on Angel Island, where life was so much simpler. Where lands weren't so… big. And that's when it hit him: he was completely lost. Where could he reconnect with Tails?

His eyes searched the skies until they were set on the tallest thing they could find: a distant skyscraper.

.

Tails had no other choice; his tails were tuckered out from all that spinning, so the only way to find Knuckles now was to take to the sky in his biplane. Luckily he knew where he parked it, by a dock in the bay.

"Hang on, Knuckles. I'm comin', buddy, just… please don't be in trouble!"

.

Knuckles was in a lot of trouble now. By the time he started scaling the city's tallest tower, he had already done enough property damage to be dubbed a public menace. Now, not only was Tails searching for him, but so was the local police force.

The red echidna managed to climb all the way to the very top, where he had an amazing view of the city. However, he was soon greeted by two police helicopters.

"You! In the red!" called an officer in one chopper via loudspeaker. "Stay where you are, you are under arrest!"

"Leave me alone!" hollered the echidna. "I just wanna go back to my island!"

One of the choppers came closer, scaring him into scooping up a small piece of the building's brick ceiling and throwing it at the machine. The hit just bounced off the chopper with little damage; it was a scare tactic after all.

But then Knuckles clenched his fists. "You're both working for Eggman, aren't you? I'm not gonna let him zap me this time, you hear me?"

Finally, a third airplane came into view. At first, Knuckles thought it was a new challenger, but looking again he recognized it as the Tornado. "…Tails!" he gasped in relief.

"Knuckles!" called out the little fox. "Hurry, hop on!"

To the surprise of the police officers, the red creature took a flying leap off the building. For an instant, they thought he was committing suicide, but in fact he was able to glide on the wind and landed safely onto the wings of the Tornado.

"Halt! This is the police!" cried out the loudspeaker again. "Do not attempt to escape. I repeat, do not…"

There was a pause; one of the police officers recognized the biplane as Sonic's and was telling the others to back off the attack, assuming that Tails had this red creature under control.

"I'm sorry about all this," called Tails to the policemen, whether they could hear him or not. "I'll explain it later!"

"Just get us out of here!" Knuckles cried out before they made their getaway.

Tails would have a LOT of explaining to do at the police station…

.

By the time Sonic had returned home in Green Hill, Tails and his guest Knuckles were already home. They were both sitting on the couch in the living room, watching television. By then, Tails had already explained to his new friend that televisions were safe, and not capture capsules.

"Hey guys!" smiled Sonic as he walked in. "How'd it go in town today?"

Tails nearly blushed; he really didn't want to recollect the misadventure leading up to a would-be arrest. "Oh… We just, uh, kinda hung out."

"Really?" blinked the hedgehog. "No trip to the mall, or the baseball stadium?"

"I saw the skyscrapers," smiled Knuckles.

"And?"

"…They're nice. I kinda miss home though, maybe I should just let you guys visit me from here on in."

Sonic was puzzled; he was sure Knuckles would take to city life. He then shrugged, "Well, I guess if that's what you want…"

As the blue hedgehog walked away, Knuckles elbowed Tails gently. "Thanks for covering for me, buddy."

"No problem," winked the little fox. "Just next time, try not to get too curious and run off again."

"Deal."

"…Hey Knux, do you really not like the city?"

"Oh. Don't get me wrong, Tails, it was beautiful. Almost too beautiful."

"So what was it then? Was it the airplanes that scared you?"

Knuckles paused to glance out the window, viewing the distant skyline of Starlight Zone, a place so thrilling, yet so scary at the same time.

"It wasn't the airplanes… It was beauty killed the beast."

.

**END **


	82. My Little Obsession: Dr Eggman

_I'd like to apologize to those of you whose requests I've forgotten over time. I REALLY need to take notes of them. I'll get to them eventually, but first I've got something here that I think some of you will really appreciate._

.

"**MY LITTLE OBSESSION"**

**A Doctor Eggman Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

Sonic the Hedgehog thought he would never see this day, but it finally happened: All of his friends- Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream and Cheese, Big, Shadow and Rouge, even Team Chaotix- all had but vanished, and the only evidence of their whereabouts was in what appeared to be a ransom note, signed by Doctor Eggman. As he read it, he couldn't believe his bright green eyes…

_Sonic,_

_I have your friends. If you want to see them again, meet me in my base in Metropolis Zone._

_Your ever evil nemesis, _

_Dr. Eggman_

Sonic clenched the note in fury and revved up his legs for a major dash to the forbidding city of Metropolis.

The Zone itself was a challenge, with all the lava pits and spiked platforms and Shell-Crackers and Asterons and MOTHER #$%&$ SLICERS! …But once the gauntlet was cleared at last, Sonic had only to spin-dash through a steel doorway to find himself in a room where his friends were tied down to chairs. Most of them were already shaking and teary-eyed… except for Big The Cat, he was surprisingly calm.

"Guys! Are you okay?"

"Sonic," sniffled Tails. "It's… it's horrible. Horrible!"

"The fiend," muttered Knuckles, who was biting his lip to prevent from screaming.

Shadow was also trembling, but with fury instead of fear. "My gun…. Get. Me. My. Gun!"

Sonic looked around with puzzlement; they all seemed okay, aside from the looks of horror on their faces. He thought for sure that Eggman had already prepped up his Roboticizer machine. "Where's Eggman?"

"Here I am," hummed a deep, grisly voice. "And you're just in time, Sonic…"

Sonic braced himself for a battle with the evil doctor in his Egg Carrier. As the madman's silhouette approached him, he looked as menacing as ever… That is, until he came into the light, holding up not a weapon, but two toy ponies.

"Now we can settle the debate once and for all… Who is the greater pony: Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash?"

"NOOOOO!" screamed Amy in her chair. "MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOOOOOP!"

"I wanna go home," wailed Cream as her tied up Chao friend cried along with her.

"You see, hedgehog," explained the mad doctor, "we've been at this all morning. My Badniks kept telling me that Twilight Sparkle is the best of the ponies, but I just couldn't leave it at that! So I lured you and all your friends over here to see who they think is the greatest of them all."

"…You're serious."

"Yes, of course I am."

"….You're freakin' serious?"

"Surely you're a fan of Rainbow Dash, hedgehog. She's almost as fast as you are."

"She's a cartoon character."

"I like cartoons," smiled Big the Cat.

I KNOW she's a cartoon character," roared Eggman, "….but it's just such a good cartoon. Look, I've even made fan-bots of you and all of your friends ponyfied!"

"Pony-what?" Sonic then turned around at the sound of trap doors opening, and there before his eyes stood a line of robotic horses. One was blue with hedgehog spines for mane with a Power Ring cutie mark; another was orange with two foxy tails and a wrench for a cutie mark; the third was red with dreadlocks for mane with a green emerald as its cutie mark-

"That looks nothing like me!" shouted Knuckles in protest.

"Quiet you!" hissed Eggman. "So, Sonic… what do you think?"

As the blue hero glanced at each "ponyfied" version of his allies, Sonic came to a conclusion. "I think… you seriously need help."

"Come on, Faker, just undo these binds so we can get the hell out of here!"

"Yes, please Sonic!" wailed Amy. "I wanna forget this ever happened!"

"But," frowned a disappointed Eggman, "we haven't yet watched the My Little Pony marathon!" He pressed a button on a remote control he had in his pocket, and a television screen switched on to the cartoon of his obsession.

"OH GOD, NO!" screamed Knuckles, as he and the others (minus Big) started rocking in their chairs in a desperate attempt to escape.

"Sonic, save us!" howled Tails.

"Gun! NOW!"

"Okay, okay," replied a less than psyched Sonic. He was about to spin, when Eggman tried to stop him.

"You will not leave this place until I say so! Pony Bots, atta-"

Swish! Went Sonic, catapulting himself right through the lineup of pony bots.

"…uhhh…. eeehhh," grumbled a frazzled Eggman.

Sonic wasted no time in undoing his friends' binds, and they all took off in a hurry for the exit. Eggman didn't have a backup plan to stop them, so he just threw a hissy fit as all but one hostage remained.

"You ungrateful little pests! I invited you to my home, and this is how you reward my hospitality? Fine! Fine, I'll just turn you all into robots next time! You miserable little… little…. Uhh…"

There stood Big the Cat, staring blankly at the mad doctor.

"…What do you want?"

"I think Fluttershy's the best."

Eggman looked quite stunned by the enormous cat's reply, until he himself looked down on the adorable yellow Pegasus pony toy.

"…Yes. Yes, you're quite right."

.

**END **


	83. Brother From Another Mother: The Prowers

_Thank you all for the 400+ reviews! And now, on to the Drabble!_

.

"**MY BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER"**

**A Prower Family (featuring Sonic) Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by Zone the Hedgehog**

_Set in the Archie comic-verse_

.

"Hey, Tails!"

"Hey, Sonic."

"Long time, no-"

"Sorry, gotta run! Catcha later!"

That's how most of their mornings started out now, ever since Tails was reunited with his birth parents after years of hopeless searching for them. In that time, the hedgehog and two-tailed fox were practically inseparable, going as far as to call each other brothers. But now, Sonic would have been lucky to get two sentences out of his young friend before he bolted out of the house to head for the new home of Mister and Misses Prower.

Not that he was jealous or anything… After all, it was perfectly normal for a young boy to want to be with his parents, especially after being forced away from them for so long. This was normal.

"…This is normal," Sonic sighed to himself.

.

Finally, after all those years, wondering where they were or if they were even alive, they were home at last.

Tails couldn't begin to express his excitement; every day he would welcome his mother with a tackle-glomp worthy of a fan girl. But of course, Rosemary was not the least bit taken aback by it; she could take the near joke falls if it meant her son's happiness. While his father, an army commander, was away on business, it meant more time for mother and son to make up for lost time. That usually meant long walks in town, just talking and reminiscing.

"…and that's how I rebuilt the Tornado."

"My goodness, Miles, you've done so much in so little time. You're practically a young man!"

"I know, right? …Oh, I mean, thanks Mom."

"Heh-heh-heh. It's okay, you have every right to be proud. So, show me again how you can fly with your tails?"

"Oh, this?" He jumped up once, and his tails spun like crazy within milliseconds. "I hardly notice it anymore, but it did take me a while to master it."

"And how did you ever get that idea?"

"Well, I always liked planes… I guess I saw one in flight one day and memorized how the propellers worked, then I looked at my tails and went, 'Oh hey, I can do that!' And the rest, as they say, is history." Suddenly, a fellow Mobian passed by.

"Hey, Charlie!"

"Hey, Tails. Is that your Mom?"

"Yep."

"Hello, Mrs. Prower; great to have you back."

"Thank you, it's good to be back."

Then just before Tails returned to his lone conversation, the dog Mobian turned around and asked, "Where's your bro Sonic?"

"…Sonic? Oh, he's… probably running around, doing something cool."

"Oh, okay." The dog walked away.

Rosemary was now curious. "You call Sonic your brother?"

Tails felt slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, well… He did kinda help raise me while you and Dad were in exile."

"I see. Well, we should invite him over for dinner at least."

"Yeah, that'd be really sweet. He loves chilidogs."

Rosemary chuckled. "So I've heard."

.

Perhaps now was the time to move Tails' stuff out of the house.

He really didn't want to, but now that Tails was clearly part of the Prower family once again, Sonic found himself going through Tails' room that day, stacking up what little clothing the fox had onto his bed. For the third time that day, he sighed. While in deep thought, he didn't hear the little fox himself enter the room.

"Sonic?"

"WAH!"

Clothes went flying.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to spook…. Hey, what're you doing in here anyway? What's all my stuff doing on the bed?"

Embarrassed for himself, Sonic cleared his throat and fibbed, "Uh-uh-uh… I was just about to do the laundry."

"You don't do laundry."

"First time for everything, right? Heh-heh-heh…. Eh. So! How's the fam?"

"It's been great! I never really knew how great a cook Mom is, she makes the best muffins and cupcakes!"

"Really."

"Yeah! And today we went shopping, and visiting some friends, and I showed her how the Ring of Lakes makes Rings."

"…Wow, sounds fun. _Ahem_. So, uh… This whole family thing…" He might as well get it out now. "…It's pretty permanent, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, well, they're your parents. Right? So, you should be there for them."

"Uh-huh?"

"…I mean, with them. ….Like. Forever."

Tails' ears started to droop. "….Wait. You… You want me to leave?"

Sonic scratched the back of his head, trying to hide his sadness. "Well, if that's what you want, bud. I mean, they're your family. You _should_ be with them, right?"

"…Well, I…"

"I mean, you should _want_ to be with them, is what I meant to say."

"I… I didn't… I mean, I never really thought… like that… But… It does make a lot of sense, doesn't it?"

He could no longer look him in the eyes. "…I mean I was there for you 'cause you were like an orphan. But you're not an orphan anymore, so…. You… don't really. Need me. Anymore."

The two of them glanced away, both feeling very disheartened by their predicament. What Sonic was saying _did _make sense, but… it still felt wrong.

"I…" Tails muttered, still unsure of what to say, when something else came out of his mouth: "I wanna invite you over for dinner tonight."

Stunned, Sonic turned back to him. "What?"

"Yeah. You, me and Mom and Dad. It'll be nice."

Suddenly, Sonic's heart lifted. "…Wow. That's really nice of you, buddy. …Whatcha having?"

"Oh," smiled Tails. "Only the best."

Sonic licked his lips. "Chilidogs?"

"Of course."

"Yes!" he jumped for joy. "I'll be there in a heartbeat! In fact, I'll race you there! Mark-get set- GO!" **Zoom!**

Tails couldn't help but laugh. "Aw, Sonic…!"

Now that he was alone, Tails could see that his belongings were stacked onto his bed for a reason other than laundry duties. Sitting on top of the pile was a picture of the two boys when they were younger- possibly taken from the time they first met. All of those memories crept back into his mind, and all at once he was deeply moved.

"Aw, Sonic…"

.

The whole Prower family was gathered at the dining room table that evening, along with their special guest. The food was gone in less than half an hour, thanks to Sonic's voracious appetite, but his eating antics only made Tails' parents smile and giggle in bewilderment. Tails, on the other hand, was very quiet and ignored Sonic's lone chilidog-eating contest, mainly because he had seen it before, and also because he was thinking deeply about his decision on living arrangements. But before he could speak, his father started to raise a glass.

"Okay," smiled Amadeus, "I know it's tradition to make a toast before dinner is served, but I'd like to take a moment to thank our guest of honor Sonic, for keeping our little Miles safe and well while his mother and I were away."

"Here-here," cheered Rosemary, raising her glass. "To Sonic!"

"To Sonic," cheered Tails.

"To me!" giggled Sonic.

Then the eye-patched commander said with a slightly sterner tone, "You're welcome to come visit us whenever you like, Sonic. Once we've renovated Miles' room, he can-"

"Wait," frowned Tails. "Y-you guys already made a room for me?"

"Well, it's in its beginning stages still, but it should be ready by the end of the month."

Tails gave his dad a big smile. "Gee, Dad… That's very sweet of you."

Sonic glanced away; he was sure he knew what his little buddy was going to say next, and that he wouldn't like it.

"…But if it's all the same to you, I'd just want a guest room."

"Huh?" "What?" gasped his surprised parents.

Even Sonic gasped in surprise, turning to Tails in curiosity.

"You see guys," began the boy's half-prepared speech, "nothing has made me happier than to have you both back in my life. But Sonic's as much a part of my life as you are… He's like my big brother. So, if we can't all live together, then I'll just stay with him and visit you guys every day."

"But dude," muttered Sonic, "isn't this what you've always wanted?"

Tails smiled warmly at him. "All I want is for the four of us to be like a family."

Rosemary was nearly moved to tears- not in sorrow but in joyful pride. "Miles, dear, you have grown up so much since we've been gone. And Sonic, I am whole-heartedly grateful for your help in raising him. It would be my honor to accept you as my stepson."

Sonic blushed. "Wow, gosh! Thanks, Mrs. Prower."

"Call me Rosemary. Or Mom."

"Eh-heh-heh. Rosemary will work for me."

Tails turned to his father. "Dad? Is this okay with you?"

Amadeus smiled, "Whatever you wish, son, we'll support it."

"Yeah!" "Woo-hoo!" cheered Sonic and Tails. Then they raised their half-empty glasses of soda. "To the Prowers."

"To us," smiled Amadeus to his wife.

Rosemary smiled back, then to her two children. "To all of us."

.

**END**


	84. Cutscene of My Dreams: Sonic Generations

_I've already seen the demo of Generations where you can just hop from one Zone to the next, so there may not be as many cutscenes between Zones as there could be. _

_But man oh man, what I wouldn't give to see the following moment in the actual game…_

.

"**THE CUTSCENE OF MY DREAMS"**

**A Sonic Generations Drabble**

**By Snodin**

.

In a dark endless hall of portals, Sonics young and mature were dashing along their way, looking for the way home. With them were two versions of Tails, one young and the other even younger.

When at last, they came to a vortex with a halo of dark cloud and lightning, and in its center was a bright orange light of flame. Modern Sonic and Tails gazed into the hole, and saw a burning metropolis on the other side.

"Sonic… Is that…?" gulped Modern Tails.

Modern Sonic cringed, "Crisis City."

While the Modern pair were hesitant, young Classic Sonic saw no danger and started to bolt toward the portal.

"Woah-woah-woah! Not so fast, Little Me!" gasped Modern Sonic, who cut off his young self before he could jump through the vortex.

While Classic Sonic shrugged out of curiosity, Classic Tails responded, "What's wrong?"

"Just… Trust me on this, you guys don't wanna go in there."

"But you said we'd have to cross_ all_ the paths of time so we can save the day and get home."

"Yeah, I did. I might have been wrong about that. See… I was thinking… M-maybe we could just go, uh…"

While the mature Sonic tried to explain himself, Classic Sonic began to tap his foot impatiently. He wasn't buying this lie at all.

"…Okay look," frowned Modern Sonic. "I'm not gonna lie to you: this place is a mess. And it's not even supposed to be here 'cause I already saved that world from total destruction."

Classic Sonic whispered into Classic Tails' ear.

Classic Tails interpreted, "Well, it's here so we don't have a choice do we?"

Modern Sonic shivered while his ears drooped. "Ehhh…."

Without any further interruptions, the Classic duo jumped through the gate and into the horror that was Crisis City.

Modern Tails shrugged to his Modern partner, "Guess we might as well get this over with." He followed after the younger pair.

Modern Sonic turned to his audience through the Fourth Wall. "I'm really sorry about this."

He jumped through the portal, and it swallowed up into nothingness.

.

**END**


	85. Just Be Good to Green: ScourgeFiona

.

"**JUST BE GOOD TO GREEN"**

**A Scourge the Hedgehog Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by Sonic Speed Blue Blur 23 (Wow, what a name!)**

**Song: "Just Be Good to Green"**

**By Professor Green featuring Lily Allen**

.

_Somewhere between Archie Issues #161, and #165…_

On the outskirts of a small city, many miles from Knothole, Fiona Fox was in a small tavern, sitting by herself and gazing at her empty table with a deep mope on her face. She had to get away from her so-called friends, who were now starting to question her even after she had proven herself to the Freedom Fighters several times already. The hurt was more than she could bear… But things were about to get downright worse.

"Aww, why so glum, foxy lady?" cooed Sonic's voice from behind her but with a certain dark tone. The vixen turned around, and sure enough there was a green hedgehog standing there instead of a blue one.

"Let me guess," grinned Scourge, "Ol' Blue dumped you for little Princess Perfect, am I right?"

Fiona gave him a sharp glare before turning away. "Go away Scorch, or Evil Sonic, or whatever you go by now."

"It's Scourge… And personally I never liked the name 'Evil Sonic.' I always saw it like this: if Blue's the Good Sonic, than that makes me the Better Sonic."

"Whatever."

Sonic's doppelganger helped himself to a chair and pulled it up beside hers, much to Fiona's jargon. "Aww, what's wrong babe?"

"Nothing. Just leave me alone."

"What happened, did they throw you outta their Friendship Club?"

Fiona's ears drooped. "…Not yet, they haven't. Not that it's any of your business, slime ball."

"Slime ball?" He threw his hand over his scarred chest. "That… That hurt! I thought you n' me had chemistry a while back."

She rolled her eyes. "That's because I thought you were Sonic. So did all the other girls you locked lips with, creep."

"Bah, that's all put behind me! I only did it to make him look bad, anyway. It was nothing personal… Although, I will admit, you were one of my favorites."

Feeling her skin crawl underneath her fur, Fiona jumped to her feet and growled, "That's it. I'm out of here."

Panicked, Scourge cut off her retreat pleading, "Waitwaitwaitwaitwait! …Okay, that came out all wrong, I'm sorry. Look, all I'm trying to say is that I like you."

"Please, you only like yourself."

At first, Scourge hesitated, knowing that what Fiona said was absolutely true. But then he reeled back with, "So, I've heard you had quite the history, lil' lady. Digging yourself out of a prison, hanging out with Bark and Bean, stealing riches? Kinda makes me curious: Why would you ever wanna give up a sweet life like that?"

"Because!" she replied sharply, "…Because… I want to be a better person!"

The green hedgehog raised his shades to expose his cold blue eyes, then leaned in and whispered almost seductively, "Hey, _psst_, c'mere… You wanna know what I think?"

"No, but since you're gonna tell me anyway…"

"I think you've always been your true self, the problem is that you're trying to impress the wrong people. See, in my world, good is bad and bad is good. If you were in Moebius right now, you'd be treated like royalty. Nobody would ever wanna mess with a hot fox like you."

Fiona rolled her eyes in distrust. "I'm sure you say that to all the evil girls…"

"Just hear me out, babe. Of all the ladies I've hit on, you're my number one favorite. And it's not just because you have a dark side, or because you're smoking hot (and believe me, they're both awesome perks) but it's because I see something in you that I doubt even Sonic has noticed. You've got style, charisma, power! A strong drive for survival. And I like it, I really truly do! All I ask is if you give me one chance to prove to you I can be a one-woman man."

She paused to sigh deeply.

"Or," frowned Scourge as he lowered his shades, "you can go back to your perfect circle of friends, and see if they'll still like you after you tell them about your past… You know they're gonna ask you about it, that's how they are."

She cringed.

"But hey, if they still like you then more power to you, babe… but just remember, I always liked you from the start, whether you were good or bad."

As Scourge slinked away, Fiona's heart grew heavy. Deep down she was starting to consider that what this backwards fiend was saying actually made sense. But she couldn't just walk away from her new life… Not now.

.

_Between Issues #165-166_

Well, it had happened. Because she had struck a deal with a crooked cop, which cost the Freedom fighters a Warp Ring, Fiona's background was now put into question. Though she stood her ground and claimed that her thieving ways were put behind her, only Sonic seemed convinced. But at this point, not even his comfort was enough for her. Fiona had finally given up on her last hope to be a hero.

The following night, she followed Scourge back to Moebius through a warp ring hole, and kept following him until they were alone at last in the woods. There, she confronted him once and for all with the feelings she had been struggling with. Truth of the matter was, she was hooked on his charms; the only reason why she hadn't yet given in to them was because she feared he was still a player. And so, the meeting went… well, sort of like this.

_(Fiona)__  
__Friends, tell me I am crazy__  
__That I'm wasting time with you__  
__You'll never be mine…_

___Just be good to me.___

_(Scourge)__  
__Ha, Just be good to Green__  
__All I need is a woman to be good to me__  
__I'm an easy man, I'm easily pleased__  
__An you provide me with everything that I need__  
__Look you know I make ends I grind__  
__So hold onto yours we're spending mine__  
__Though you try I never let you buy__  
__But If I was broke would you still be spending time?__  
__(Fiona) Yes.__  
__An I believe you would__  
__Don't think p's to f-ed to treat you good__  
__I walk street with you,(Yes) talk deep with you (Yes)__  
__Even slip an spend all week with you__  
__Then I'm off, you wish I'd put an end to the torment__  
__Stop, but one thing it's not ever is boring__  
__What would you rather me be like?__  
__I ain't ever gonna change are you ever gonna realize?_

They walked down a path toward a small hideout in the woods, similar to that of Knothole, except this one was overrun by the anti-heroes of Scourge's gang. Everyone from Anti-Tails (now called Miles) to Anti-Sally (now called Alicia), and they seemed to be loading weapons onto trucks as though preparing for a war.__

_(Fiona) Always talk about__  
__(Scourge) Look, people are always gonna talk babes,__  
__(Fiona) Reputation__  
__(Scourge) I ain't even gonna lie__  
__sh-t, but it ain't like you don't know what mine is__  
__(Fiona) I don't care what you do to them__  
__(Scourge) Nah__  
__(Fiona) Just be good to me__  
__(Scourge) I'll try, an try, an try_

The anti-heroes were all up in arms upon Fiona's arrival, thinking she was still on the side of good. But Scourge was quick to sway them, seeing as how he and Fiona were now practically arm in arm. Alicia scoffed at the pair, seemingly jealous but overall disgusted. Nevertheless, Fiona was allowed inside their hideout.__

_(Scourge)__  
__Look babes, you know who I am__  
__But as crooked as I am__  
__I'll be as good as I can__  
__I try an try though it's evident my__  
__Angel face is disguise for the devil inside__  
__You're good to me, I ain't good to girls, ME?__  
__I'm a bad boy something every good girl needs, heh__  
__Honesty could avoid all your tantrums__  
__But I'm a naughty boy and I always have been__  
__WHAT__  
__An that ain't changing any time soon__  
__I can't have you with me whenever I move__  
__Whatever I do, I come back to you,__  
__See the good attracts me and the crook attracts you__  
__(Alicia) Whatever__  
__(Scourge) What__  
__We've all got our ways__  
__Remember us talking?__  
__Of course it was game__  
__But it's all gone an changed__  
__Now she's got me cutting of links like I'm trying to shorten my chain___

_(Fiona) Always talk about__  
__(Scourge) Look, people are always gonna talk babes,__  
__(Fiona) Reputation__  
__(Scourge) I ain't even gonna lie__  
__sh-t, but it ain't like you don't know what mine is__  
__(Fiona) I don't care what you do to them__  
__(Scourge) Nah__  
__(Fiona) Just be good to me__  
__(Scourge) I'll try, an try, an try_

_._

"Okay, here's the plan."

Scourge and company were gathered at a table in their underground lair with a rolled out map of Moebius. Scourge explained, "Kintobar's got friends but we've got the weapons. Alicia, you and the others will act as decoys surrounding his tower while me n' Fiona sneak in from below."

"Wait, what're we doing exactly?" asked Fiona curiously.

Scourge turned to her with a toothy grin. "We're taking over this planet- First Moebotropolis, then the world!"

"Ha! You're crazy!"

"It's crazy enough to work, babe. Look, Sonic's always saving his world, right? So it only makes sense that I take over mine. And just think, when we do take over-"

"If."

"_When_ we take over, you can rule by my side, as my queen… Whaddya say, Fi? All the riches you could ever want."

"…Seems too easy."

"That's because it is," grinned Alicia. "All the 'good guys' in this world are pushovers."

"Then," asked Fiona, "what stopped you guys from conquering it before?"

Scourge shrugged, "We never had a reason to before; we only terrorized for the laughs. But now it's about time we got serious. So are you in, babe?"

Fiona glanced at her new allies, all of which looked far less than trustworthy, then back to her new partner in crime who looked as confident as ever. Something about his confidence was both scary… and intoxicating.

"Queen Fiona, huh? …I could get used to that name."__

_(Fiona)__  
__Friends are always telling me__  
__You're a user__  
__(Scourge) Not me not ever,__  
__ain't no other man gonna treat you better__  
__(Fiona) I don't care what you do to them__  
__(Scourge) Nah__  
__(Fiona) Just be good to me__  
__(Scourge) I'll try, and try, and try_

_._

Before she knew it, Fiona was helping in the loading with stolen goods and weapons onto a trailer en route to Moebotropolis, with her new friends arming themselves for the inevitable onslaught.

___(Fiona)__  
__I'll be good to you__  
__You'll be good to me__  
__We can be together be together__  
__I'll be good to you__  
__You'll be good to me__  
__We can be together be together__  
__Just be good to me_

_._

Scourge took the reins of a tank being pulled by stolen sentient robot with Fiona sitting by his side, all the while being constantly reminded of how Sonic ignored her most of the time that they were together. The more he talked about it, the more convincing he was. Fiona curled her arm around his and snuggled up to him for the first time in ages, glad to finally feel welcome- even if the company she kept was less than perfect.

___(Scourge)__  
__Why you always listening to them?__  
__Why you always gotta listen to your friends?__  
__Why you always listening to them?__  
__Why you always gotta listen to your friends?__  
__(Fiona) I don't care what you do to them__  
__(Scourge) Nah__  
__(Fiona) Just be good to me__  
__(Scourge) I'll try, and try, and try__  
__(Fiona) Just be good to me_

And he would be.

.

**END**


	86. It's A Compliment Really: Tails, Yoshi

_Why is it still called the doggy paddle when neither swimmer is a dog?_

.

"**IT'S A COMPLIMENT. REALLY."**

**A Tails and Yoshi Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by jakeroo123**

_Set in "Mario and Sonic at the London Olympic Games"_

.

The little two-tailed fox waited two years to see the Mario cast again, if only because they were all just so colorful. He was especially looking forward to racing against that green dinosaur in the swim competition, because of their similar tactics.

What was his name again? …Oh yeah. Yoshi. How could he forget?

"_Hey there! My name is Miles, but friends call me Tails. What's your name?"_

"_Yoshi!"_

"_Yoshi, huh? That's an interesting name… So, are you a dragon or something?"_

"_Yoshi!"_

"…_Right. I know your name, but what _are _you is what I'm asking."_

"_Yoshi, Yoshi, Yoshi."_

"…_That's all you can say, isn't it?"_

"_Haaaaa."_

"…_So, you're a Pokémon? What're you doing here?"_

_The dinosaur shook his head. "Yo-yo-yo!" He pointed toward Mario. "Shiiii!"_

"_You're with him?"_

"_Haaa."_

"_Okay, if you're a dragon, say 'Yo,' and if not, say 'Shi.'"_

"_Shi."_

"_Lizard?"_

"_Shi."_

"_Dinosaur?"_

"_Yo!"_

"…_Are you sure you're not a Pokémon?"_

"_Haaaa."_

Tails sighed, reflecting on how he and the dinosaur met with certain confusion in their first Olympic meet. The winter games two years later would lack improvement.

"_Hey, nice to meet you again! What was your name?"_

"_Yoshi!"_

"_Right. I forgot… Anyway, looks like we're gonna be relay skating together. I'll be in the lead, and you follow me. Okay?"_

"_Yoshiiii!"_

"_Wait, I don't understand. Do you wanna go first?"_

_The dinosaur pointed to the fox. "Yo." Then to himself. "Shi."_

"_Oh! I get it now, thanks."_

"_Ha!"_

"…_What's so funny?"_

_The dinosaur palmed his face in frustration. "…shiii…"_

This time, Tails was definitely ready. He decided to just ignore the dinosaur and focus on the game itself; no matter what, he wouldn't let that dinosaur- or whatever- rattle him with his strange one-word dialogue. Not this time!

"Contestants, take your marks!" called the announcer.

Beside Tails at the edge of the pool was his best friend Sonic, wearing his life jacket and staring at the pool water with a look of fright. "Why am I doing this again?" muttered the shivering hedgehog. 

On Sonic's opposite side was the green thing, waving at Tails with a warm smile. Tails waved back, half-smiling with a bent ear.

The gun fired.

Tails and Yoshi were both doggy-paddling like there was no tomorrow, oblivious to any other swimmer. Everything happened so fast, with water splashing and limbs kicking and taking in breath after breath within seconds. Tails was coming to the finish wall before he knew it, softly cheering to himself, "Yeah… yeah… yeah! I can do it! I can…"

He slapped the wall, and only then did he realize just how hard he swam; he nearly dropped below the water, too weak to stay afloat. A green hand grabbed his arm and hoisted him out of the pool.

Tails looked up at the dinosaur with half closed eyes. "…you again… why…?"

Yoshi pointed upward. "Yo!"

Tails glanced up, and saw that Yoshi was showing him the scoreboard. Tails' name was hovering above all others.

"I did it…. I won?" Though happy with the results, Tails was still weak in the knees. Yoshi was still holding onto the fox's arm, careful not to let him fall.

As the audience cheered for Tails, Yoshi gave him a firm pat on the back. "Yoshiiiiiiii!"

The little fox looked up at him, seeing that the dinosaur was clearly proud of his efforts despite his confusing dialogue. Whatever he just said, it had to have been a compliment.

"Tails," he thanked with a smile.

.

**END**


	87. Chivalry: Knuckles vs Rouge

_I've finally done something I should have done a long time ago: I've switched out Drabble #23 for an all-new one. Do check it out, won't you? In the meantime, enjoy this one as well._

.

"**CHIVALRY"**

**A Knuckles vs. Rouge Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Sonic Adventure 2"_

.

**11:08**

**Desert Area**

Knuckles was having a bad day; first he was confronted with a strange new character- a white she-bat dressed in tight black leather claiming to be a master jewel thief, who was currently eyeing up his Master Emerald. But as if that weren't enough, Doctor Eggman came from out of nowhere and snatched the Emerald from them while the echidna and bat were distracted by each other. There was only one thing Knuckles could do to stop this villain, and that was to smash the Master Emerald into thousands of pieces.

Both Eggman and Rouge reeled back in shock, as the echidna made his move and the Master Emerald was all but obliterated before their eyes.

"What was THAT all about?" screamed the she-bat in his face as she shook him violently. "Look what you did to my Emerald!"

Keeping calm, the echidna explained. "I did that to prevent the Master Emerald from being stolen, you idiot. If it's in pieces, I can restore it- and by the way, it's not YOUR Emerald."

Dr. Eggman, meanwhile, saw this as just a minor setback, and as he floated away in his Egg Carrier he mumbled something about getting back to his base.

As Rouge saw the villain leave, she scoffed. "I despise anyone who takes jewels from me! All the world's gems are mine to keep!"

The echidna stood by with a soft growl between his fangs. "Yeah, we'll see about that, bat-girl."

Rouge put up her dukes, ready to fight. But her red opponent just stood there silently, like a statue. She came at his with punches and ninja-like kicks, but he dodged them all with unusual grace. Finally, the she-bat gave up, seeing as there was no fight in this echidna.

"Hmph," she grinned. "So you're all bark and no bite, huh? Fine then, see you later loser." With that, she flapped her wings and fluttered away.

Knuckles crossed his arms as she left, sighing to himself. He knew better than that jewel thief; she lacked the Master Emerald's energy readings which he could easily pick up on. Time was on his side.

"I wasn't gonna hit her anyway," he muttered to himself. Thief or not… he could never hit a girl.

.

**END**


	88. Hedgehog Care 101: Shadow and Maria

.

"**HEDGEHOG CARE 101"**

**A Hedgehog Training Tutorial**

**Featuring Shadow the Hedgehog and Maria Robotnik**

**By Snodin**

.

**Greetings, and welcome to Hedgehog Care 101. I will be your supervisor, and with me are my two assistants: Shadow the Hedgehog and Maria Robotnik.**

"A pleasure."

"This seems silly. I'm nobody's pet."

"Aw, come on Shadow. This is our chance to do something fun together."

"Meh… Alright, let's do this."

**Ahem… Before we officially begin, let us briefly go over one important fact about hedgehogs: they are not legal in all fifty United Sates, or certain other countries. So before you go purchasing a hedgehog for a pet, research your hometown to see if it is safe for you to do so.**

"What if your hedgehog is biogenetically created from aliens or some other supernatural force?"

**Good question, Maria. If that's the case…. Uhh…. Hmm. Let's just assume that the pet hedgehog in question is the real thing.**

"Oh, okay."

"Hmph."

**One other thing: caging your hedgehog can vary between the common hamster cage to large tank, to even a small hedge-proof room. Since Shadow here is a free-roamer, we will provide for him an open enclosure. **

"_Put him in a hamster ball!"_ calls out a voice off-screen.

"SHUDDUP, FAKER! Who the hell let him in here?"

**I dunno. I didn't let him in, I swear. But nevermind him, we're about to begin.**

**.**

**STEP 1: Taming Your Hedgehog**

**Congratulations on purchasing your new pet hedgehog! He's adorable. Now right away, you may notice that your hedgehog is almost always rolled up into a ball. It's a defensive tactic that they do naturally, to protect themselves from predators. It seems your poor hedgie has mistaken you as a predator. But don't worry, in just a few easy steps, he'll be cuddling up to you in no time… Shadow, put the gun away.**

"But this is my natural defense tactic."

**Put it away!**

"Meh, fine."

**Maria will now demonstrate the proper technique in picking up an untamed hedgehog.**

"Right. First, I approach the hedgehog calmly." As she approaches him, Shadow pretends to be aggressive by rolling into a ball and making hissing noises. "At this point, I could either scoop him up gently with my hands while at the same time scooping up the bedding just underneath his feet, or I could just use a towel to keep him from prickling my hands."

She chooses to pick Shadow up while he's still balled up. "Now that I have him elevated, he'll soon understand that I'm not going to hurt him. But I can't keep holding him like this because he'll get fidgety (plus he's heavy). So after just a few seconds, I'll put him down…" As she does so, Shadow appears calm though still curled in a ball. "You should do this a few more times, until your hedgehog is comfortable in your arms."

**Nicely done, you two.**

"_You too are way past cute! Can I take your picture?"_ called out that off-screen voice.

Shadow's one eye peeked out through the ball of quills. "Is that the Faker again? Please get him out of here!"

**.**

**STEP 2: Feeding Your Hedgehog**

Shadow is suddenly at a dinner table with a lobster bib, surrounded by several bowls filled with disgusting foods. Maria is by his side, also looking a bit uncomfortable with the servings.

**A hedgehog's proper diet consists of high protein and low fat. Most hedgehogs enjoy dry cat food-**

"Gross!"

**Like I said, MOST hedgehogs do! …Anyway, you can also feed your hedgie mealworms, wax worms, crickets-**

"You're not actually gonna feed me that crap, are you Maria?"

"Hush, Shadow…"

**Ahem! …They can also eat lean chicken, turkey, and some vegetables.**

"Whew, that's a relief."

"_Give him the mealworm!"_

"I swear to God, if he's not out of here in two seconds-"

**Patience, Shadow. This is all just for show anyway.**

"_I'll give you a hundred bucks if you feed him the mealworm!"_

**No.**

"_Two-hundred!"_

**No!**

"_Okay, fine. Five hundred bucks, fifty Rings, and six Chaos Emeralds."_

…**..Can you make it seven?**

"HEY!"

**Just kidding, Shadow.**

**.**

**STWEP 3: Bonding With Your Hedgehog**

_*snicker* "She said 'bondage.'"_

**SHUT UP, SONIC! …..And I said "Bonding!"**

"_Whatever."_

**Grrrr…. Anyway. Playtime with your hedgehog is a great way to form a lifelong friendship. As far as toys go, hedgehogs are not very picky.**

"_Hamster ball!"_

**Oh, for the love of…. *deep sigh* … We will start with the most basic of hedgehog toys: the toilet paper tube.**

"The WHAT?" Suddenly, a toilet paper tube appears in Shadow's hands. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?"

**It's a known fact that hedgehogs love to bury their heads in crevices, and tubes such as these are among their favorites.**

"Alright, we have now officially delved into the level of stupidity. There is no way on earth that I would find something as ridiculously plain as this thing as a form o-" He is silenced by Maria, who has snuck up behind him and shoved the tube onto his snout. He pauses, twitching his nose, then sighs with a pout. His ears droop in a semi-submissive state of calmness.

A camera flashes off-screen, causing Shadow's quills to bristle in fury.

**Now would be a good time to mention that many pet hedgehogs can become ill due to stress. To prevent this, most people keep their hedgies from other animals- especially potential predators, like cats and dogs.**

"What about Fakers?" as Shadow after taking off the tube.

"_Hey, I'M the REAL hedgehog. I should be the one starring in this demo!"_

"Well, too bad! I'm the one with a human friend, so suck on that."

"_Yo Maria, wanna team up with me? I can pay you in Rings!"_

Shadow defensively blocks Maria. "You stay away from my human, you-"

Suddenly a flash of blue appears on screen as two hedgehogs begin to tussle, causing the camera to fall and break.

_**ZZZZZZZZZZZZ**_

PLEASE STAND BY (Cute kitten image onscreen)

_**ZZZZZZZZZZZZ**_

A new camera is in place; Shadow and Maria are still on-screen, but Shadow now had bandages on his head and left arm.

…**.Okay, now is the best time to introduce the next step in proper hedgehog care:**

**STEP 4: Treating Hedgehog Illness**

"Good, cause I'm sick of all these interruptions from the peanut gallery." Shadow shoots an evil look to an off-screen hedgehog, whose injuries are currently unknown.

**Cleanliness is key to keeping your new pet healthy; weekly baths and brushes with a toothbrush are required.**

Maria starts to gently brush the top quills of Shadow with a standard toothbrush, making him pout once more.

"Maria, you don't have to do that."

"I'm just showing the viewers how it's done. Besides, you look like you could use a good brushing."

"Wouldn't a real hairbrush make more sense?"

"Hush now, I need to get behind the ears."

"Mehhhh…."

**Hedgehogs are prone to disease like any other animal- the flu, the common cold, and pneumonia for examples. But the worst sicknesses a hedgehog can get are cancers, and "Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome."**

"What's that?"

**I'm glad you asked, Shadow. It's a disease similar to human Multiple Sclerosis, or M**S.

"Oh… I thought that's what I gave the Faker." He points off-screen, and the camera follows his direction to Sonic, who's almost completely bandaged up in a hospital bed, his head wobbling from being knocked around.

(Panning back to shadow and Maria…)

**Guys, this is serious. The only way to eradicate these diseases is with help from the local vet.**

"Okay, time to go to the vet, Shadow."

"But, wait! I'm not really sick. Maria?... Maria!"

(Cutting to a new scene, where Shadow is on a hospital table, with Maria and her grandfather Gerald standing by.)

**The veterinarian is an expert in all animal care, be it a standard or exotic pet.**

"He's not a vet!" says a nervous Shadow, pointing at Gerald.

**Quiet, you. The vet will determine whether or not your hedgie's in good health or not; and if it is, which is the best plan of action to-**

Gerald, playing his role, takes a thin stick to pry Shadow's mouth open and look into it with a small flashlight. Then he takes an Otoscope to look inside his right inner ear. Then he takes a small reflex hammer to tap shadow's knee. Shadow reacts with a karate kick to Gerald's face, knocking him back.

"Sorry!" gasped Shadow.

…**.take?**

Gerald gets back up, brushing off his initial shock, then replies, "It's confirmed, he's fit as a fiddle."

"Of course I am. I'm the Ultimate Life Form!"

"…But he's obviously no normal hedgehog."

"WHAT?"

The next thing he knows, Shadow is pulled away by dark suited arms, possibly from G.U.N., and thrown into a capsule similar to the one he was trapped in on the Ark. On it's top is labeled, "Caution: Dangerous Wild Animal."

"Hey!" he screams from inside, banging onto the impenetrable glass. "Let me out of here, this wasn't in my contract! Maria? …MA-RI-AAA!"

**And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. If you ever decide to get your own hedgehog, follow these simple rules and do make sure your pet is not an illegal biogenetic experiment that may or may not destroy the world. Thank you, and goodnight.**

Sonic stumbles over on crutches, still slightly bandaged, and looks up to his trapped rival.

"…How's that hamster ball looking now?"

"Oh shuddup, assh-" (Gets cut off)

.

**END**


	89. I Chose Sonic: Amy, Dark Sonic

.

"**I CHOSE SONIC"**

**A Dark Sonic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by Ghostkid33**

_Narrated by Amy Rose_

.

"_If I had to choose between the world and Sonic, I would choose Sonic."_

I remember saying that to someone once, but I can't recall to whom or when. But I do know that I meant what I said; it had something to do with whether or not I would still be by his side, even when the whole world was against him.

But never in my wildest dreams did I believe that this day would actually come…

I found him lying there in the sand, his fur still midnight blue and smoldering from the recent explosions. In the distance, Eggman's city was burning, flames licking from whatever was left of the skyline of Metropolis Zone. It sounded like thunder was going off, but in fact the sky was clear- what sounded like thunder was actually random explosions coming from the ravaged city beyond the beach.

It was his doing. He let himself turn "dark" and started to rip Eggman's base apart as though it were made of paper. But he didn't stop there, he just kept on running, flying through tower after tower, spin-dashing and burrowing until everything… _everything_… was smashed to pieces.

And now he was here, exhausted, drained from the rush of power and rage that took over him. It all happened within minutes, but as I looked up at the still burning city, it felt like days went by.

"….amy…." he muttered softly. His fur was starting to fade back to lighter shade. There was much pain in his eyes.

I knelt down beside him. "Sonic. I'm here. I'm right here."

"Amy….. what…. What have I done…?"

I looked deeply into his worn eyes. He looked so lost and scared, like he had just woken up from a horrible nightmare.

"Shh, stay still, you need to rest now." I tried to coax him back down on his belly, but he resisted and sat up.

He stared at the fire for what felt like hours. I could tell he was devastated.

"I… Eggman…. I…."

"Don't talk, Sonic. Please, just try to stay calm."

"Amy, did I…?" _Did I kill him?_ I knew he was going to say that, so I stopped him by hugging him tight.

"It's gonna be okay, Sonic. Do you hear me? It's going to be okay!" I couldn't fight the tears that were falling from my face. He could sense my tension, my horror, but I tried as hard as I could to be brave.

"Ames…" He started to shiver.

"Don't… Don't be upset. I'm not upset, and I'm not scared of you. You hear me? I'm not the least bit scared of you!"

But I knew in my heart that he was afraid of himself. He couldn't bring himself to say it, but I felt it from within. He started to pant.

"Come on," I sniffled as I forced him up on his feet. "I'll get you home, and you can try to sleep this off. …Sonic? Sonic, are you listening?"

"Hmm?... Yeah, yeah. I hear ya, Ames…"

I walked him home that night. It was a long walk, but one worth taking. I kept him close to me, still trying to be strong for him- for the both of us.

I knew he could never let this go; he would hate himself forever for this. Others would say he did the right thing, that he was a hero. Or there may have been those who would now fear and distrust him for having so much destructive power. I tried not to think of that. All I wanted to do was show him that in the long run, things really would be okay.

I really did choose Sonic after all.

.

**END**


	90. Sonic Warriors: Iron Wars Preview

_This next project is gonna be a doozie, so I think I should explain a few things before the real action happens…_

.

"**Sonic Warriors: THE IRON WARS (Preview)"**

**By Snodin**

.

_A long time ago, in the world known as Mobius, an epic struggle between good and evil took place in a land called The Dragon Kingdom._

_A young woman named Regina Ferrum was the cause of the chaos. She was a gifted mage, but used her powers for cruelty and intimidation. Already the kingdom had a dark ruler; a brutish bull by the name Jun Kun who dubbed himself "The Iron King." But once Regina earned his favor, she took to his side as his queen. Together, they terrorized the countryside with their magic and brute force._

_But all was not lost; one other sorceress lived in these dark times, and where Regina was wicked, she was benevolent. Her name was Ebony the Cat, and she vowed to take back the Dragon Kingdom, even if it meant her life._

_This is the story of how Blaze the Cat's world became what it is today. _

_Meet the following Iron Warriors:_

.

**EBONY THE CAT***

Type: Power

Appearance: As Blaze the Cat's ancestor, she is blessed with a blue jewel-like birthmark on her forehead. Her robe is like that of a Chinese Buddhist monk's, except her colors are purple over white. On her left ear is a large Ankh earring, which compliments the Ankh on her necklace and the upside-down Ankh label on each of her sandals. On her right ear are two smaller, Power Ring-like earrings. She sometimes wears a red takuhatsugasa- a dome-shaped hat often worn by Mahayana Buddhist monks of Japan.

Her weapon: Pure magic

Strengths: Strong-willed, courageous, wise and strong leadership.

Quick Bio: She is Blaze the Cat's direct ancestor and destined founder of the Felidae Kingdom.

.

**TECHNO THE CANARY***

Type: Flight/Heal

Appearance: A black kimono with red horizontal stripes on her sleeves, with a modest leather chest plate scaled in steel like a traditional samurai kozane. She wears a straw paddy hat for a helmet, and her feather bangs still hang down over her left eye. Her white and red-striped "uwabaki" shoes can be mistaken for sneakers.

Her weapon: The Piko-Piko Crossbow

Strengths: Flight ability, gifted with Healing powers, high agility and a hardly misses a target.

Quick Bio: At just 14 years old, she is the youngest (and arguably the most spirited) of the team. She comes from the Babylon Kingdom, which would be renamed Avian.

.

**JOHNNY LIGHTFOOT****

Type: Speed

Appearance: Samurai armor reminiscent of the Do-maru; it's lightweight and identifies him as a foot soldier. His shoulder pads are long, almost sleeve-like, and often dangled behind his arms. He wears stilt-like "geta" sandals on his feet.

His weapon: A steel bo-staff with maces on each end.

Strengths: High jumper, fast runner.

Quick Bio: He is Bunnie Rabbot's ancestor, on her mother's side. He is fiercely loyal to Ebony.

.

**PORKER LEWIS****

Type: Power

Appearance: He wears loose light blue clothing underneath a Hara-ate Dou torso armor which looks almost like a tank-top drooping down and forming a short skirt. On his feet were "jika-tabi," which compliment the hooves of his feet as they were only two-toed.

His weapon: A kendo sword

Strengths: A strongman

Quick Bio: He is the most fearful of his team, but proves his worth in a pinch. He may or may not be an ancestor to Hamlin the Pig.

.

**MORIAN BLACKTHORN***

Type: Stealth

Appearance: She wears no armor at all; instead she has a modest green kimono with purple lining and a golden belt, and wears her hair-fur in a high ponytail. Like Johnny, she wears geta on her feet that look hard to walk around on.

Her weapon: Two katana swords

Strengths: The fastest of her team, skilled with her swords

Quick Bio: She comes from the country destined to be known as Canus Kingdom, but it's uncertain if she played a part in its founding.

.

**SUN-WU KHAN**

Type: Flight

Appearance: The oldest of the group, he has white streaks of fur along his ears which indicated his age. He wears a full-body suit of armor called O-yoroi; even his helmet is decorated with a golden dragon head on its top. Like Porker, his footwear is two-toed in the style of the jika-tabi.

His weapon: A golden bo-staff with large red jewels on their ends. This very staff would eventually be passed down to his descendant, Ken Monkey Khan.

Quick Bio: He is Ken's most famous ancestor, and one of the few members of the team who was born and raised in the Dragon Kingdom. (Fun fact: His name is a play on the name Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of "Journey to The West."). His design is meant to mimic Ken's "evil" cyborg form (See Archie's Iron Dominionn Arc).

.

**SIR RICHARD "RICKY" ACORN**

Type: Speed

Appearance: He wears a suit of armor reminiscent of the Nanban, with a smooth bronze chest plate in European style rather than Asian. His helmet is oval-shaped with white cloth dangling from its lower edges that covered the back of his head.

Weapons: The Sword of Acorns, and an acorn-shaped shield

Quick Bio: He's a direct ancestor of Sally Acorn's family, and founder of the Acorn Kingdom. (He's based on the original Ricky the Squirrel, owned by SEGA)

.

***POOF!* AND… Silver the Hedgehog?**

Type: Flight

Appearance: Same as ever

Weapons: None

He just stands there, in his normal gloves and boots which make him appear to be humbly underdressed. He seems confused and lost, as he should be as he's clearly in the wrong time period. Seeing the other warriors ready for battle, he gulps nervously.

.

_This… should be interesting._

.

**SONIC WARRIORS: "THE IRON WARS"**

**Coming Soon to a Fanfic Page near you!**

**.**

* Characters belong to Fleetway Comic's "Sonic the Comic"

** Characters are featured in Fleetway Comic's "Sonic the Comic," and also belong to SEGA


	91. I SAW What You Did There: Sonic

_Date this Drabble was released: 10/31/11_

_Happy Halloween!_

.

"**I SAW What You Did There"**

**A Sonic Halloween Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**.**

He woke up in a pitch black room, feeling quite disoriented. He only felt worse when a bright spotlight suddenly flashed on, right above him.

Sonic let out a howl; "D'yah!... ugh…. Where…. Where am I?"

He tried to get up, but his legs were chained down. He say up, and realized that his lower body was strapped into the hole of the center of a guillotine. He started to panic, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake his waist free from the hole in which heads would go to be severed by their necks.

Next, Sonic looked around curiously for some kind of way out. All he found was a small ink bottle, complete with a droplet cap by his left side. On his right, he saw a television set strapped to a wall. As he stared curiously at it, the television suddenly switched on by itself. After a few moments of static, the screen showed a dully lighted Tails Doll.

(Play a faint recording of the "SAW" theme now.)

"**Hello, Mister Hedgehog- or as you are called by your friends, Sonic."**

Sonic looked around for the source of this gruesomely deep voice, but he could only guess that the television was the source of its sound.

"What's going on here? Who are you?"

"**Who I am does not matter. For now, let's play a game."**

"Oh, okay. I'm cool with that… So which is it, 'Sonic Colors?' 'Sonic Unleashed?'"

"**I was thinking more along the lines of: 'Sonic the Cripple."**

"….Never heard of it."

"**As you can see, Mister Hedgehog, your lower body is strapped into a guillotine; in three minutes, the blade will fall down from above and slice you from your upper thighs. To put it bluntly, I intend to sever your legs, rendering you a cripple forever."**

"No… NO!"

"**Yes. You have always been hailed as the fastest thing alive, but you also have some fans that are still up in arms about a certain… issue. Look to your left. There, you see a small bottle of black ink, with a droplet. To win this game and your freedom, you must give in to the demands of your rabid fans: you must dye your eyes black."**

"WHAT?"

"**This will test to see what matters to you more, your fanbase, or your speed. Let the game begin."**

_02:00._

"…This is ridiculous! Why do my fans want me to dye my eyes black?"

"**You have lost quite a lot of fans when you changed your eye color."**

"But green IS my natural eye color!"

"**Funny, your fans seem to disagree."**

"Look, you've seen the leaked cut scenes from 'Sonic Generations,' I'm sure! Clearly, there's no point where me and Classic Me react to the difference in our eye colors!"

_0:1:30_

"**Are you willing to risk the one thing you care about most just to convince your fans that you're a green-eyed faker?"**

"Shut up! I'M not the faker! Anybody who says that they're my friends and hates on my eyes are the real fakers!"

"**Time is running out, Sonic…"**

_0:1:15_

Feeling as though he had no other choice, Sonic picked up the ink bottle with a trembling hand. He cringed as he dipped the dropper into the ink and extracted enough of the black paint to plant onto his eyes. But as he took deep breaths and moved the dropper ever closer to his eye, his eyelids started to flinch.

"Awwww-haw-haw….. It's gonna hurt…." He started to wince and moan.

"**Quit whining, you big blue rodent."**

"…Rodent? …..Wait a second." He knew only one person that called him Rodent; he looked to the Tails Doll TV screen and shouted, "Is that YOU, Eggman?"

"WHA!" came a voice, followed by a figure falling behind the doll. "Ah-ahem! Pay no mind to that evil genius behind the doll! You have one minute left, hedgehog!"

_0:0:54_

No longer scared of his enemy, Sonic was quick to figure a way out. He threw away the ink bottle…

"**Oh dear. There goes your loyalty to the fanbase."**

Then he took his right arm and with all his might he bit into it. It pained enough for him to lose Rings he had stored within him prior to the kidnapping.

_0:0:25_

"**Wait…. What are you doing? STOP!"**

Sonic had grabbed one of his discarded Rings and proceeded to jam it into the slit of the guillotine so that it would block the blade's inevitable insertion.

"Careful with that, you little pest! It's French!"

_0:0:09_

Sonic then crossed his arms and patiently waited for the blade to drop onto the Ring. This, Eggman could not stand for. He ran from his secret chamber and through a hall before entering the room where Sonic was being held prisoner. By the time he had gotten there, the timer ran out.

"Just what do you think you're doing, you miserable little…?"

_0:0:00- SHING!_

**KABOOM!**

As Sonic had hoped, the blade's contact with the Ring's raw power created a small explosion, one great enough to break the hedgehog free and soft enough to leave him mostly unscathed. Eggman stood at the doorway with a dropped jaw, and couldn't find himself to even fight back as the angered hedgehog approached him.

"You know what, Doc?" growled Sonic as he rolled up his sleeves. "If you think the fans like black eyes so much, then let's see how they'd look on YOU!"

_**POW!**_

.

Eggman returned to his home base in Robotropolis with a face so swollen, his glasses could no longer hide his eyes- which were now blackened by furious punches.

"Hey boss," asked a concerned Slicer, "what happened?"

The defeated mad doctor just kept walking by. "…don't….ask…."

.

**END**

.


	92. Daddy's Home: Sonic and Archie Family

_For those of you who don't know, Sonic's real name in the Archie-verse is… well, his middle name anyway, is Maurice (his grandfather's name). No one knows his real first name, and Archie would like to keep it that way- "Sonic" is a nickname he earned in his youth due to his developing super-speed. It's for that reason that Sonic's parents call him Maurice in this drabble- so don't flame me! _

_As for how he came to meet his father in this drabble, it's totally made up by me- a sort of "what if" scenario. To see the real story, check out Archie's comic archives._

.

"**DADDY'S HOME"**

**A Sonic and Family Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in the "Archie" Universe_

**.**

"Daddy, sing the song!"

"Aw, Maurice, it's way past your bedtime. Go to sleep now."

"Peas, Daddy? Peas?"

He couldn't resist those big puppy dog eyes and sweet little voice, with that one tooth jotting from his upper jaw. "Oh, okay. One last time, then beddy-by."

Jules tucked in his little toddler son into the crib; the boy was almost his exact double, except that he lacked his father's brown bangs. The little guy would constantly try to grab hold of them, and there were times when he would tug so tightly, Jules smiled through teary eyes.

Had he known that this would be the last night he would see his son while a flesh-and-blood Mobian, he may have savored this moment some more.

"_Hush little hedgehog, don't say a word,_

_Papa's gonna by you a Flicky bird._

_And if that Flicky bird don't sing,_

_Papa's gonna buy you a Power Ring._

_And if that Power Ring gets used,_

_Papa's gonna buy you some running shoes._

_And if those running shoes burn out,_

_You'll still be the best little hedgehog around."_

The little tyke drifted off to sleep, just as Jules had planned. But he couldn't leave his son's side without first giving him a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Goodnight, you little twerp."

A small voice would reply coyly, "G'night, big twerp."

Jules couldn't help but giggle as he shut out the bedroom light and left the room.

.

Little Sonic would not see his father again for nearly a year. Days would go by when he would tug on his mother's dress and peep, "When's Daddy coming home?" And each time, Bernadette would say with half a smile, "He'll be back, sweetie, when he can."

What the toddler didn't know was that his father was serving the royal Acorn family as a task force officer, sent on a dangerous mission in enemy territory during the final years of The Great War. No one, not even Bernadette, knew the details of his missions; all they knew was that he was fighting to keep them safe- from Robotnik, from other Overlanders, from whatever. No one knew when he would return… if ever.

Then one night, the inevitable happened. Jules was shot, fatally, while on a mission abroad. While he was able to return to his country in one piece, his wounds would soon become infected; he was beyond recovery. Only his genius brother, Charles, had a way to keep him alive.

Sonic knew nothing of this; his mother and uncle would both distract him from his worries for Daddy, both fearing what kind of emotional damage such news would cause his innocent mind. It was only after some time Charles' experiment was complete that Bernadette could finally tell her son, "Maurice, I have the best news: your father's coming home tonight."

"Really? Daddy's gonna be here?" He jumped so high, he nearly reached Bernie's chest.

"Yes, yes," she laughed joyfully. "Daddy will be here, just like I promised."

Sonic couldn't take his excitement; he ran laps around the house _and_ the block at speeds up to thirty miles per hour. By the time the sun went down, he was pretty much exhausted.

Charles brought his brother home around 8pm that night, and was the first to enter the house. He gave his sister-in-law a warm hug before kneeling down to his beloved nephew's level. "Now then Sonic," as he was the only family member to call the tyke by his chosen name, "I have to be perfectly honest with you."

"Where's Daddy?" persisted the toddler. "Did you bring him home, Uncle Chuck?"

Charles nodded cautiously. "Listen to me, my boy. Listen… Your dad fought a long, hard battle with the bad guys this past year, and he's had some, uh… changes made."

The bouncy little hedge-hoglet tried to peek behind his uncle's legs toward the door. "Can I see him now?"

"He's not quite as you remember him, sonny. Please…"

Not listening, of course, little Sonic ran around his uncle's legs and stopped at the doorway. He could see nothing more than a shadow and a pair of glowing red eyes before a metallic blue boot stepped into light. The child backed up and watched in terror, as a large blue robotic creature made its way into the living room. This was Jules, a "Robian" as he would soon be called. His organic body would have given out long ago, but now fully metallic, he seemed invincible. But the only thing remotely similar to his original form was the white zig-zagged point on his forehead, representing his brown bangs.

While Bernadette and Charles had already seen his new form, and slightly more used to it, Sonic on the other hand stared up at his face with an open mouth and bulging eyes. As if the creature wasn't spooky enough, it suddenly talked!

"**Hello, son. It's me."**

The hedge-hoglet let out a yipe and dashed back to his mother, hiding behind her legs.

"Maurice?" gasped his mother, unable to stop him from curling up into a half-ball in self-defense. "Maurice, sweetie, this... This is Daddy."

Sonic looked back at the creature; it extended its metal claw. **"It is me, Maurice. Daddy is home."**

Shivering, Sonic looked up helplessly at his mother. "No… No. Not Daddy. That's not Daddy."

Bernadette knelt down to comfort him. "Aww, honey, I know he looks different, but it is him."

"No! NO! I want my REAL Daddy! Make it go away!" He tucked his face into her lap as tears poured from his eyes. He let out a sob. "Mommy… Make it go away… Ehhh-heh-heh…."

Though his body was without feeling, his spirit was in tact; Jules lowered both his arm and head in what could have been described as shame. **"…I'm. I'm so sorry."**

Bernadette wrapped her arms around her son and started stroking his back. "Shhh, shh. It's okay. I know, I know this is strange. But you'll see. Everything's going to be like it was before… Won't it, Charles?"

Feeling guilty himself, Charles scratched the back of his head. "Sonic, this is my fault- I mean, this was the only way I could save him… Daddy was hurt, you see. He was hurt very badly. I _had_ to fix him, somehow."

Hearing their voices, he tried one last time to look the creature in the eyes. It didn't work; Sonic once again shook in fear and turned away. Both Bernadette and Charles felt defeated.

Jules had to think very, very deeply, going back to a time before he was downloading images and thoughts, back to when he was a real hedgehog. For a moment, it looked as though he had been switched off, because as he tried to rewind his memories, his body was left without nerve. Then, finally, it came back to him.

"_**Hush little hedgehog, don't say a word,**_

_**Papa's gonna buy you a… a Flicky bird."**_

Through a sniffle, Sonic managed to turn his head back to the metallic creature. …He knew that song… and he knew that voice.

"_**And if that Flicky bird don't sing,**_

_**Papa's gonna buy you a Power Ring.**_

_**If that Power Ring gets used,**_

_**Papa's gonna buy you some running shoes…"**_

"….da….daddy?"

Jules dropped to one knee and stretched out his arms. **"Come'ere, little twerp."**

Sonic crawled slowly toward him, finally seeing past the evil-looking red eyes and sharp pointy edges. "Daddy… is that really you in there?"

"**Yes, son, it is. I've missed you very much."**

"I missed you… Why're you all shiny?"

"**It's just my outside; inside I'm the same as I ever was."**

Instinctively, the toddler reached up to grab ahold of the point on the robot's head that would have been his bangs. **"Careful,"** warned Jules gently.

"Does it hurt when I do this?" He tugged on it.

"**Ouch. Heh-heh-heh,"** joked Jules.

Relieved at last, Sonic let out a small giggle. "Heh. Heh-heh! Hee… Can I…?"

"**Can you…?"**

He reached out his tiny gloved hands. "Can I touch you?"

"**Sure you can."**

Just as Sonic feared, his father's new skin was ice cold. However, he was brave enough to give him a small hug around his neck. This was enough to make Bernie and Charles cry silent tears of joy.

"Dad, can you tuck me in tonight?"

"**Absolutely, buddy. I'll read you your favorite bedtime story."**

"Nah, you don't have to… But I do like that song."

Despite being absolutely terrified of him just minutes ago, little Sonic was now allowing Jules to carry him off to bed. The Robian gave his wife and brother a nod; they nodded back.

Sonic's bedroom was just as he remembered it, except now there was a small bed in place of the cradle- it was shaped like a red sports car. He then realized that he had been away from home for far too long. As he cradled his son, he was humming the song- that was enough to make the boy close his eyes.

The little tyke drifted off to sleep, just as Jules had planned. But he couldn't leave his son's side without first giving him a soft "kiss" on his forehead.

"**Goodnight, you little twerp."**

A small voice would reply coyly, "G'night, big twerp."

Jules couldn't help but giggle as he shut out the bedroom light and left the room.

Daddy was home.

.

**END**

.


	93. Change of Heart: Gamma, Flickies

_Dialogue is from both Amy's and Gamma's walkthrough (English version). I went with the lines that felt most fitting for the scene._

.

"**CHANGE OF HEART"**

**A Gamma / Flicky Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Sonic Adventure"_

**.**

His orders were clear: Retrieve the blue bird in the jail cell.

Gamma approached the cage in which his target was being held, but wasn't expecting it to have a friend. Cupping the little Flicky in her hands was Amy Rose, an unfortunate victim of circumstance.

**Priority One: Blue bird**

**Priority Two: Pink hedgehog**

**Tactic Activated: Show of force**

He held up his gun and took aim.

"Go away!" shouted Amy in protest, showing no fear despite her helplessness.

"**Hand me the bird."**

She shielded her little friend. "No way."

"**Resistance is futile. Give me the bird."**

"No, never!"

**ERROR. ERROR. **

**Priority Two- Hedgehog- showing resistance.**

**Change of tactics: Persistence**

"…**Why not?"**

"I don't need to tell you anything. You tell _me_ why you want it!"

"**Does not compute. Data unavailable."**

"You don't even know? …I know you might hurt us both." Amy stood up, showing curiosity for this strange being. "Please, Mister Robot…. Won't you help us? Please?"

"**Insufficient data. You have feelings for something you know nothing about. Illogical!"**

"I pity you," she frowned. "Love is not part of your programming; you're missing something good."

Somewhere deep inside Gamma's core, a heart skipped a beat. _"Love? …I remember love. I remember my family, my nest… I was flying for my life, when… Oh no. My mate, my chick! Where are…? Wait… There he is, there's my baby!"_

"Hey, birdie! Come back here!"

Amy couldn't stop her bird friend from escaping her grasp and flying straight toward the robot. Gamma stood there, seemingly curious.

**Priority One: Blue bird**

**Tactic: Capture**

"_No!"_

**Processing… Processing… Capture.**

"_Don't you dare touch my chick!"_

**ERROR. ERROR.**

Amy watched as Gamma's body started to shake profusely, and without warning. The little blue Flicky, meanwhile, remained calm. It was as if he knew that somewhere inside that metal beast… was his family.

**Priority One: Blue bi-zzzzzzz-ERROR. 401. Rebooting system.**

"_Now's my chance… System override!"_

**WARNING! WARNING! System hacked! Mainframe compromised!**

"_Listen to ME now, Mainframe! Override!"_

**WARNING! WARNING! System ha-zzzzzzzzzz- New User. User ID unavailable.**

"_Just call me… Mom."_

**New User ID: Mom. Confirmed.**

The shaking stopped, and the robot started to turn to its left. **"…Go, escape!"**

"Wh-what?" gasped Amy.

**Priority One: ?**

"_Push the button."_

**Priority One: Push cell button**

Gamma pushed the button that would open up the cell Am was trapped in. She walked out calmly, with her little bluebird friend in hand.

"Why are you letting us go?"

"…**It is dangerous here. Hurry, we will be at the Mystic Ruins base soon."**

"So… you're not like the other robots, huh? You truly are a good person inside, aren't you?"

"_If only you knew, child."_

"I guess we can be friends then… Take care, okay?"

Amy ran off with the Flicky chick, while Gamma was forced to stay in place.

**Priority One: ?**

"_I just know that my mate is around here somewhere… Perhaps he's in one of the other robots. I must find and free him."_

**Priority One: Free E-101 Units**

**Confirmed.**

**Searching… Searching… Searching…**

His orders were clear; Gamma was off to a new mission, a new purpose. All thanks to the small beating heart deep inside his metal frame.

.

**END**

.


	94. Change of Heart 2: Gamma, Flickies

_Back by popular demands…_

.

"**CHANGE OF HEART"**

"**PART 2: POWER STRUGGLE"**

**A Gamma / Flicky Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by: Ultima**

_Set in "Sonic Adventure"_

**.**

Taking control of a robot from the inside wasn't an easy task, Mama Flicky was conscious while others in her predicament would not be. Perhaps she had a stronger will than her captor, Doctor Eggman, had anticipated. In any case, she could not stop her vessel Gamma from obtaining a jet booster on command, nor could she stop it from heading up to the airship's deck to confront its next target.

**Priority One: Sonic the Hedgehog**

**Orders: DESTROY**

She struggled within her cramped space, unable to fly. _"I… I don't want to hurt anyone…"_

**Orders: DESTROY**

"_No, no, no! This is wrong! Eggman is the enemy!"_

**Subject: Eggman. Creator. Master.**

"_I'm your master now, remember?"_

**User ID: Mom. Pilot. Confirmed.**

**Master: Doctor Eggman. Confirmed.**

**Orders: DESTROY PRIORITY ONE.**

"_Ugh…"_ she stopped struggling; the more she moved, the weaker she became and henceforth the robot's mainframe regained its original format. _"I must save my strength… Maybe in time, I can…"_

But before she knew it, Sonic came into view through Gamma's green eyes.

**Target acquired. Engaging battle.**

Fortunately for Mama Flicky, no one would take damage in a fight, for as soon as Gamma charged, a familiar pink face appeared, blocking Gamma's path to Sonic.

**New Target: Pink hedgehog**

"Amy?" gasped Sonic. He was surprised to see her standing right in front of this war machine and showing no fear.

"Hey, Mister Robot," she smiled sweetly. "I know you're not an evil sort… Wait! Remember me?"

"_Yes. Yes, I remember you. You are our friend."_

**Priority Two: Pink hedgehog.**

**Pink Hedgehog ID: Friend**

"_Yes, Gamma! That is correct! We don't hurt our friends."_

Again, the robot's body began to shake in turmoil. But within seconds, it lowered its gun.

Sonic looked puzzled, as he wasn't used to seeing such a placid-looking robot. "I… I don't get it," he muttered.

_**RU-U-U-U-U-U-MBLE!**_

"Sonic!" gasped Tails nearby. "The ship is losing altitude!"

"Hurry," snapped Sonic, "take Amy and go! I'll go and nail that Eggman!"

Gamma had no choice but to stay there silently, unsure of its next orders. Then it received one from an unlikely source: the pink hedgehog girl.

"Hey, Mister Robot! Why don't you leave Eggman and come with us?"

**Insufficient data. Does not compute. **

"**Why do you help me?"**

"I told you we'd be friends the next time we met. Even Birdie wants the best for you."

**Target: Bluebird. Correction. Target: Son.**

"Amy, come on!" shouted a child's voice from a distance. Gamma watched as the she-hog ran off with the little blue Flicky, then was carried away by the flying two-tailed fox.

"We'll meet again, my robot friend!" called Amy as she was carried away into the sky.

**Priority One: ?**

**Awaiting orders… **

"_Gamma, we must leave this place."_

**Priority One: Evacuate.**

Gamma activated its flight mode and took off into the opposite direction of the heroes.

.

The machine kept flying on auto pilot for several hours, until it was morning. While in flight, it was recounting some very important moments of its recent past…

**Master: Eggman.**

"_He is our enemy."_

**Ally 1: E-101 Beta. Status: Upgrading.**

"_He has someone captive- my mate, perhaps."_

**Ally 2: Amy.**

"_She is our friend."_

**Master: Eggman, **

**Ally 1: Beta.**

**Ally 2: Amy.**

**Eggman. Beta. Amy. Eggman. Beta. Amy. Eggman. Beta. Amy.**

**Eggman?**

"…**Doctor Eggman… Enemy. Master registration: Deleted."**

"_Finally,"_ Mama Flicky breathed a sigh of relief. _"It took me a while, but I finally got through to this hunk of metal. Now, Gamma, remember the rest of those robots- the ones like you."_

**Opening Memory File: E-Series.**

"_They are our friends, and they're being held captive, like we are."_

"**E-Series… Friends…"**

"_Yes, confirmed. We must save them by destroying their outer forms."_

**Priority One: Save Friends. Confirmed.**

"**Must save…"**

.

After many hours of searching and destroying the E-Series robots, it came down to one final confrontation: E-101 Beta.

"_At last… My mate must be in that machine!"_

**Priority One: Beta**

**Orders: DESTROY**

"_But please… be careful! I don't want to hurt my mate."_

**Orders: Destroy Beta… Carefully.**

Despite is upgrades, Beta was still no match for Gamma. It was mostly thanks to Gamma's free thinking, courtesy of Mama Flicky, as well as the upgrades given to it during its journey. With some careful targeting and accurate shooting, Gamma came out victorious. It watched, at the black and white robot incinerated, releasing a grey male Flicky from its center upon crashing to earth.

"_Excellent! My mate is free!"_

**Status: Beta is free. Mission: Complete success.**

Interestingly enough, the grey Flicky stuck around and even hovered up to Gamma's "face," as if he sensed his mate's spirit from within.

"_I'm here, love. I'm here…"_

Then he started flying away.

"_No… come back! It's me! It's really me! …..Gamma…"_

**Orders: ?**

"_Please… release me."_

**Orders: Release. Confirmed.**

"_Thank you, Gamma. Thank you for everything… Goodbye…"_

**Going… offline…**

Gamma slowly opened a hatch in its chest, revealing the pink Mama Flicky. As she opened her wings at long last and took off after her grey mate, Gamma fell to the floor, lifeless.

_Tweet-tweet-tweet!_

Papa Flicky turned around, recognizing that sweet little voice. It was Mama! They stared at each other happily, savoring the moment, before flying off together.

"_Mama… Where's our little one?"_

"_I know where he is. He's with a friend… I promised her we'd meet again."_

And they would… and this time, there wouldn't be a metal frame stuck between them.

.

**END**

.


	95. Missed Opportunity: Scourge

.

"**MISSED OPPORTUNITY"**

**A Scourge Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**.**

**WHAM!**

Sonic was sent flying smack into a tree, nearly breaking his back in the process. This was thanks to his evil counterpart, Scourge, who was ready to Spin-Dash into him while he was still down. Sonic couldn't get out of the way in time, and-

**BOOM!** –green and blue fur went crashing straight through the tree's trunk, and both rolled across the field toward a cliff. Scourge stopped Sonic from rolling downhill by pinking his green sneaker to the hero's chest.

Weakly, and bruised from earlier hits, Sonic looked up at the searing face of his double, his sharp fangs gnashing with rage.

"Doppelganger? …._.Doppelganger_ Challenges in 'Sonic Generations?' Why didn't anybody TELL ME?"

"D-…dude," winced Sonic. "Ch-chill out, it's just…. A game…"

"But this was my one chance to show the world how truly awesome and badass I am!"

"We've already got a badass doppelganger anyway. His name's Shadow."

"Oh sure, you invite HIM to your twentieth anniversary game!" Scourge buried his foot deeper into Sonic's chest, while Sonic tried to push it back with his hands.

"Ack! …Dude! ….You're not licensed by SEGA. You know that!"

"It's just not fair, Blue! Metal Sonic challenges you, Shadow challenges you, even that girly psycho-freak Silver gets to challenge you!" He loosened his grip a bit. "By the way, kudos on making him pancake under his own debris ball."

"Aw yeah," chuckled Sonic, "that was so satisfying."

"But STILL!" He resumed his chest-crunching. "I'm insulted by those 'Doppelganger Challenges,' when all you're really doing is just racing against yourself!"

Sonic could only keep one eye opened, as he could feel his ribs snap. "It… wasn't…. my idea…."

"Then whose was it?"

Sonic was losing air. "….ack…..ugh…."

"TELL ME!"

"….ack…..uhhh…" His eyes rolled to the back of head before they closed for good.

"….Blue? …..Hey, Blue." Scourge snapped his fingers in front of Sonic's unconscious face. "Yo, wake up! ….Wake up, you faker! ….Um…. Blue?"

He removed his red sunglasses to see that his adversary was no longer breathing, and for once in his miserable life, he felt a small pinch of remorse. "…..ooooooh….." Or rather, a sense of fear, for now he was guilty of murder that would have him thrown in jail for life- or worse!

"Ummm… Yeah. I'm just gonna go back to my anti-world now…. Um… G-good luck with that, there… uh…." _ZOOM!_ He was gone in a green flash.

That's when Sonic- the_ real_ Sonic- came running into the scene chasing after his robotic clone. He paused to catch a breath, when he realized that his double was lying lifeless on the cliff.

"What the heck…?"

He dashed over to the corpse to inspect it, and gently peeled off its face, revealing the metal frame inside. Its eyes were blackened; had the robo-doppelganger been switched on, there would have been glowing red irises. But clearly, this one had met its end, most unfortunately.

Sonic backed up to rub his chin in deep thought. "Hmm…."

Then, he smiled. "I guess this means I win."

**CHALLENGE COMPLETE!**

**RANKING: S**

.

**END**

.


	96. Inevitable: Archie's Sonic vs Silver

_If you keep up with the Archie comics, you know two things:_

_Silver the Hedgehog is looking for a traitor in Sonic's gang. (Some would say it was revealed to be Geoffrey St. John, but I think that one's too obvious.)_

_Sally Acorn has been roboticized in Issue #230. (I'm not upset though, it's a nice twist and I have no doubts she'll be saved.)_

_I thought about the possibility that these two plot points would collide in the near future, so here's my take on how things may go down in an upcoming issue…_

_P.S. Sorry that the last Drabble seemed so random and strange; it was based on my own reaction to the doppelganger missions in the new game- my initial reaction was, "Damn, Scourge would be so PISSED!" (lol)_

.

"**INEVITABLE"**

**A Sonic vs. Silver Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in the "Archie" Universe_

**.**

"I hate to say it… I really _really_ hate to say it… but Eggman's won this time."

Sonic was sitting by the Lake of Rings by his closest of friends- Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Julie-Su, Rotor, Bunnie and Antoine. They were all still grieving over the recent "loss" of their beloved leader and friend, Princess Sally. While the others were visibly shaken, Sonic tried his best to remain as the group's rock, hardly flinching and always plotting the next move. But the truth of the matter was, he was just as torn up as they were.

Nicole came into view in her holographic form, looking just as troubled as the rest of them. "I'm truly sorry, everyone," she frowned. "I never wanted this to…"

"It's cool, Nic," Sonic replied softly. "It wasn't your fault, really…"

It was all Eggman's fault; he used the power of a Chaos Emerald to try and switch reality back to the way it was, long before the alien race known as BEM put a stop to robotization. It worked, sort of; Sally prevented him from turning the whole world into a metal wasteland, but at a price: her own freedom. Now, there was just no telling what that mad doctor was going to do next.

"You think he'll make another roboticizer?" peeped Tails worriedly.

"If he does," feared Rotor, "it'll just start the whole war all over again."

Sonic clenched a fist. "No. I'm not gonna let that happen. And I am gonna get Sally back! ….I just don't know how. Yet."

Amy reached for his shoulder, wanting to comfort him, but pulled herself back at the last second. The last thing she wanted to do was make him confused concern for unrequited love. "Sonic? …I just want to say… I want you to know that I…"

**BAMF!** "-CONTROL!"

Recognizing the teal-green flash, Sonic rolled his eyes in frustration. "Aw no, not this again. Not now!"

"Silver?" gasped Tails and Amy, as they and the other Freedom Fighters looked in awe at the silvery-white hedgehog that just appeared out of nowhere.

Silver the Hedgehog glanced around, as if he felt lost, then recognized the blue guy. "You! Sonic, isn't it?"

"What do you want, Flash?"

"It's Silver."

"Whatever."

"I've finally dug up enough clues in my time period to figure out the real traitor among your friends: It's none other than the founder of the Freedom Fighters, Princess Sally Acorn!"'

There was a small pause; most of the gang sighed deeply, exchanging looks of wonder, while Knuckles palmed his face.

"Dude," said Sonic with narrowed eyes, "we've _just _lost Sally to Doctor Eggman. He's taken control of her through robotization."

"Then that explains it! We must stop them before they attack- our future depends on it!"

"Dude! …Just, give us a minute, okay? We need time to breathe, to think about-"

"There IS no time!" roared Silver impatiently. As he said this, his telekinesis kicked in, causing him to float in the air much to the amazement of the few who hadn't yet met him in person. "We must act now, Sonic! Or, is your loyalty to her so strong, you don't have the guts to face her?"

"That does it."

**POW!** Sonic dashed straight into Silver's middle without warning, sending him flying across the field. The others watched in surprise, gasping, before hurrying to follow.

Sonic and Silver took to battle in the edge of the holographic forest, where they threw kicks and punches at lightning speed. Most of the blows couldn't reach their targets, as both hedgehogs were fast in their own right. But Sonic had an upper-hand when it came to battle; he didn't rely so heavily on psychic powers, all he needed were a few well-times speed dashes, and Silver soon found himself on the floor.

Sonic tried to drop-kick him, when Silver threw out his palm and stopped his motion in mid-air. "It's no use!" he gasped. He waved his hand, "throwing" Sonic a few feet away, nearly knocking him into Knuckles.

As the red echidna caught him, he asked, "Need any help, bud?"

Sonic shook off his nerves and stated, "No thanks. I've got this."

Silver walked forward, still glowing from his hands and eyes. "Why don't you see the big picture, Sonic? Sacrificing one will be for the good of many!"

"I don't think that way, Sparky."

"Silver!"

"Yeah, yeah! Anyway, you've tried finding the Traitor twice before. You were wrong about me, and you were wrong about Rotor. What makes you think you're right about Sally?"

"I _know_ I'm right! …hyyyyYYAAAAAH!" Silver's muscles tightened as he summoned up all of his power to rip a nearby tree from its roots. "..Take… THIS!"

Sonic stood his ground and started tapping his foot. "…Take what?"

"Huh?" gasped the silver telepath. He then realized that the tree he was grabbing onto was dissolving. "…But… how?"

"This whole city is made up of micro-organisms powered by a computer, dweeb. You can't manipulate anything here without Nicole's permission."

"Without who's?"

"He is referring to me," said the she-lynx that seemed to magically appear behind Silver. He jumped back with a fearful yipe.

"Just hear me out, Featherhead," Sonic then replied. "You being here means we have a chance to make things right, doesn't it? I mean, every time you show up to tell us of some impending doom, we work together to make things better, don't we?"

Silver lowered his head in sorrow. "But… no matter what I've done, no matter how many times I go through time to change things, my world is still in ruins… This must be the disaster I've been trying to prevent all along, it just _has_ to be!"

"Fine, let's say it is. That doesn't mean we can't work this out peacefully."

Knuckles whispered to Julie, "I'd still kick the crap out of him."

"What if we can't reverse her robot form?" asked Silver to Sonic. "What if…?"

"Hey," replied the blue hedgehog with a wagging finger, "I don't believe in 'what-if's,' I only believe in 'why nots?'"

"Huh?"

"Look, when Robotnik started his hostile takeover, I was told I couldn't do anything about it, and I said, 'Why not?' When I went to Angel Island and was told by Knucklehead I couldn't save the Master Emerald, I said 'Why not?' When the Iron Queen took over this place and we were told that we couldn't get through to the ninja brides, I said-"

"'Why not?' Heh," interrupted the coyote nearby.

Sonic narrowed his eyes in sheer disappointment. "Thank you, Antoine. Go back to the corner now."

The coyote's ears drooped. "Meh…"

Silver sighed, while still looking skeptical. "You really think we can undo Sally's robotization, even if it means gathering up all the Chaos Emeralds, plus the Master Emerald, PLUS finding a machine capable of reversing her metal form, if it hasn't been already destroyed or even built yet? You think you can do ALL of that, before the inevitable apocalypse?"

Sonic calmly shrugged. "Why not?"

"You. Are. Insane." Silver jumped into the air and began to hover as a teal halo of light engulfed him. "I'm going to stop her from destroying this world, and if it means destroying her to do it, then so be it! And as for you? Just… stay out of my way!"

"Fine, then. Be that way, Shimmer."

"It's SILVER!" _**ZOO-OO-OO-OOM!**_

He took off like a rocket, zooming through the sky and clear out of New Mobotropolis.

Sonic looked on with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed in anger. "Pff. That's a stupid name."

Tails walked up to Sonic wearily. "You don't think he's really gonna do it, do you Sonic? I mean… to Sally…?"

Sonic clasped his fist. "Don't worry bud, this just means we'll have to work faster if we're gonna get Sal back. And we _will_ get her back, future be darned."

"Damned."

Sonic glanced at Knuckles, as did the others.

"What?" shrugged the echidna. "It just sounds more dramatic that way."

Sonic looked back up at the trail of smoke left behind by his telekinetic rival.

"So now it's a race to save her… Clock's ticking, you guys…"

.

**END**

.


	97. Horse Whisperer: Tails and Luigi

_Sorry that I've spoiled the big reveal in Archie's Issue #230; I keep forgetting that there are people out there who haven't read the comics. (And I figured that Deviant Art and You Tube have already spoiled it first. So… there._

_But fear not! I know a You Tube account that keeps track of ALL of them, straight from the comic's humble beginnings. Search for this user: _**Soniccomicworld.**_ (That's "Sonic Comic World" without spaces.) You will not be disappointed._

_And now, ON TO THE DRABBLE!_

.

"**HORSE WHISPERER"**

**A Tails and Luigi Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Requested by: jakeroo123**

_Set in "Mario and Sonic at the 2012 London Olympic Games"_

**.**

Thanks to the Kingdom of Hyrule's generous horse donations, the gangs of Mushroom Kingdom and Mobius were now able to play Equestrian games at their annual Olympics. Everyone was excited, but perhaps none more so than young Tails, who had only read of horseback rising in books. Now he could met these magnificent creatures face to face.

Just two days before the event was to take place, everyone was allowed to choose and bond with a horse of their liking. Tails wasn't picky, he just wanted whichever horse was willing to take the carrot from his hand. As he walked down the line of stables, some horses were already being groomed by their new partners.

Princess Peach was brushing the pink mane of her white mare.

Donkey Kong was learning how to harness his dark horse.

Eggman was painting a cutie mark on his horse- "GOD DAMMIT, EGGMAN!" screamed Shadow right beside him.

But at last, Tails came to the last horse on the end of the hall, the only one who didn't yet have a partner. "Finally," he smiled joyfully. He ran up to the light brown horse and held out his carrot. "Here, horsey-horsey-horsey! Nice horsey!"

To his surprise, the horse started to wince, neigh, and back up into its stable. "What's wrong?" frowned Tails curiously. But the closer he came to it, the more agitated it became and started to buck and bellow in sheer terror.

Tails himself backed away, bumping into his blue hero. "Hey bud," smiled Sonic. "Is that your horse right there?"

"Yeah, I guess… but he doesn't seem to like me."

"Hmm… Could it be because he sees you as a predator? I mean, you are a fox, after all."

Tails looked down at his belly, realizing that Sonic had a point. "Gee, I didn't think of that… But I wanted to compete in this game; how'm I gonna be able to if my horse doesn't even trust me?"

"Don't worry, I know a guy who's already gotten the hang of this thing. Come on, I'll show you."

Sonic led Tails to the large green patch of field where a tall green plumber was already running a training course of hurdles with his horse.

Tails furrowed his brows and looked up at Sonic. "Isn't that… Luigi?"

"Yup."

"_He's_ the horse pro?"

"Yup, again."

"No way…" But Tails watched as Luigi guided his horse across the field and over one hurdle after another with great ease. He was impressed enough to leave his mouth gaping open in wonder. "Wow… I gotta know his secret."

The little fox ran onto the field, already forgetting his dilemma with his own horse. As he approached, waving and calling out for Luigi, the horse started to whinny and rear up in terror.

"Woah, woah!" howled Luigi, struggling to control, the reins.

"Oh no!" gasped Tails. "Here, I can help!"

He jumped into the air and started to fly, spooking the horse even more. It bucked so hard that it sent its rider flying straight up into the air. Fortunately for the plumber, Tails caught him on the way down.

"Mama mia," sighed the green plumber, glad to have his feet back on solid ground.

Tails landed beside him with a big frown on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare your horse. I just wanna know how you got him to trust you."

"Oh! No worries," smiled Luigi. "Me and da horses-a, we think alike, si?"

"See?"

"Si, si! We both creatures of flight, capish?"

"…"

"We scare easily."

"Oooh."

"I'll-a whisper to your-a horse and-a show him everything is-a okay, okay?"

"Okay… Wait, you're gonna what?"

"I'm-a whaddya call-a… a horse whisperer?"

"You're kidding."

"No-no-no! I'll-a show you!"

Luigi took Tails by the hand and walked him up to the skittish horse in the stable. It was still huffing and neighing loudly upon Tails' arrival, but Luigi was careful to keep him and his friend at a safe distance from it.

Without warning, Luigi picked Tails up like a doll, and presented him to the horse with a big dopey smile on his face. The horse finally stopped panicking and stared at them, looking intrigued.

Luigi started to stroke Tails' head and bangs like he would a kitty cat, making Tails look on in embarrassment. "He's a goo-oo-oo-ood foxy… We like-a da foxy!"

"Maybe I'll just stick to marathon racing," muttered Tails.

But after a few minutes of Luigi's silly cuddling and cradling, he was finally ready to come closer with Tails still being held by his armpits. He lifted Tails right up to the horse's face, and to the fox's amazement, the horse gave him a curious sniff.

"Go ahead, give 'im a pat. But not too fast," advised the green plumber.

Tails very slowly reach out and touched the horse on the nose, and the horse remained still. "Oh my gosh, it worked. It actually worked!" he cheered.

Luigi put him down and handed him his carrot. "See, all's they need is some-a little coaxing and smooth talking. I think you can-a feed him now."

Tails took a deep breath and gently presented the carrot to the horse. It ate the orange treat from out of his hand.

"Wow, I gotta say Luigi, you're the best trainer ever!"

"Eh-heh-heh," chuckled Luigi meekly. "I just do what I do, uh?"

"Are you gonna train the others into bonding with their horses?"

"Sure! I mean, I like-a helping out, si?"

"I see! Well, thanks again. I owe you one."

"Bye-bye."

As Luigi walked along the stable hall, he felt a newfound purpose. Perhaps his true calling was not in following after his braver brother, but in teaching others the importance of patience and compassion.

"Here, horsey-horsey-horsey," said Bowser with a soft growl, as he tried to coax his own horse with a carrot, just as Tails did before. Of course, his horse wasn't responding well to such a big, ugly, fire-breathing reptile.

That's when Luigi realized that he had his work cut out for him. "Hoooo, boy."

.

**END**

.


	98. On The Other Foot: Amy and Manic

_I don't usually do "crack pairings" of any kind (unless you count ShadAmy, which I still love), but an artist on Deviant Art named _Bonka-chan_ has introduced me to the concept of Manic, Sonic's brother of _"Sonic Underground," _having a crush on Amy Rose. It's cute, and it's nice to see Amy being the pursued instead of the pursuer for once._

_P.S. To see which artwork inspired this Drabble, search _"Really, Amy"_ on Deviant Art, or just search Manic and Amy. It's so brilliantly funny. Major props to the artist known as Bonka-chan._

_P.S.S. This may or may not be a prelude to an upcoming multi-chapter fic…_

.

"**ON THE OTHER FOOT"**

**An Amy and Manic Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_A SEGA/ "Sonic Underground" Crossover_

.

**Spagonia.**

On a warm summer day, Sonic the Hedgehog was getting in touch with his long-lost brother Manic, who had been eking a living as a street performer (and part-time master thief). With no threat of Eggman or god-like monsters, now was the perfect time for them to relax and talk about lost time and what plans they had for the future as a family.

Nestled behind a rosebush across the street was Amy Rose, Sonic's number one fan. From her standpoint, she could see two hedgehog boys- one blue, one green- sitting at the edge of the street with their backs to her. Finally, this was her chance to catch her love interest off guard. She could only hope that her past record of glomping the wrong guy wouldn't come back to haunt her.

"Sonic!" she cheered as she went for the attack. With her eyes tightly close, she grabbed ahold and squeezed. "Thought you could get away from me this time, didn't you?"

"Um, Ames? …I'm over here."

Uh-oh. She did it again.

She opened her eyes and saw she was surrounded by green hedgehog quills, not blue. "Wah!" she jumped in surprise. "I'm so sorry," she quickly apologized to the green boy with wild quills for bangs. "I meant to hug Sonic, not you."

Manic the Hedgehog blushed, seeing this gorgeous pink creature for the very first time. "Wow… Hey, you can mistake me for my bro anytime, little lady."

"Bro?"

Sonic chuckled coyly. "Uh, Amy, this is my long-lost brother Manic. Manic, Amy Rose."

"A pleasure," smiled the green boy while taking the she-hog's hand. Nervous, she curled a smile.

"B-brother, huh?" Amy gulped, feeling quite awkward. "You… never told me you had any siblings, Sonic."

Sonic scratched his head. "Well, it's kind of a long story. See, when I was little-"

"Oh-oh-oh, dude! Dude! Dude! DUDE! Lemie tell her the story please? _Pleeeeeeeeease_?"

"Oh, okay."

"See, when we were little, Ol' Blue here was already taking on Doctor Eggman. Our parents were worried about us all getting killed or captured- or whatever- so we got split up into three countries and under three families."

"Three?" blinked Amy.

"Yeah, well, we have a sister too. Her name's Sonia."

"Oh, wow! Gosh, this all sounds exciting… Sonic, can we talk more about it at lunch?"

"Uh-uh…umm," winced the coy blue hedgehog. "I really didn't bring any Rings with me."

"I got Rings!" Manic pulled out five rings from the back of his open red vest with a _Bling!_

Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Manic, where'd you get those?"

"Du-hoo-hoode, chillax! I earned these with my bongo playing." Sonic remained suspicious. "…And there may be one here that fell out of a purse," confessed Manic with drooped ears.

Sonic sighed deeply.

Confused, Amy insisted, "I've got plenty of Rings, I can buy us all something at the diner."

Sonic was too late to stop her as she ran off to make arrangements at her favorite diner, but then he turned back to Manic.

"Dude!" smiled the green hedgehog excitedly. "You never told me about her."

Sonic made a face. "There's not much to say: She's a fangirl, she stalks me, she hugs the wrong guy."

"Aw, dude! You realize how lucky you are, right? I mean, she is one fine lady-hog!"

The blue one shrugged indifferently. "You want 'er? You got 'er."

Manic smiled a wide smile. "Really? Thanks, man! You're the best long-lost brother ever!" He then wrapped his arms around his blue brother.

Sonic, meanwhile, snatched up one of the Rings from Manic's grasp. "You're returning this first."

Manic made a face. "Killjoy."

.

Amy had dragged her blue hero into an ice cream shop which she picked out for their "date," with Manic dragging his feet behind. He could clearly see that the pink girl was smitten for the slightly bigger and far more famous hedgehog, so he took some time to think of how he could impress her. He wasted so much time, that by the time he entered the shop, he had no idea where they were sitting.

Manic carefully walked along by the bar, until he came to a red being with short quills in the back of its head. Remembering that Amy wore her quills back, he strolled up to the person, leaned over its shoulder and sweetly asked, "Can I buy you a drink, my little flower?"

Knuckles turned around, facing the now visibly deterred green hedgehog.

"Yoo-hoo! Manic, over here!" called out Amy from a table in the back.

Manic gave Knuckles a sheepish smile before he slinked away.

As the green hedgehog inched his way over to their table, he can see that Amy had her arm around Sonic, while Sonic's free hand was being used to support his bored to death head.

Now came time for the younger brother to step up and say something that would charm the she-hog for sure… when suddenly, a glove tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see who it was and gasped.

"You said you'd buy me a drink," said Knuckles plainly.

Manic sighed and gave up three of his Rings to the red echidna, who gleefully ran back to the bar for another grape soda.

"Oh Manic," smiled Amy, "Sonic and I were just talking about the three of you starting a rock band. Is that true?"

"Uh-huh," nodded the wild-quilled Manic with a smile. "I'm gonna be the drummer, and Sonia's gonna either play base or keyboard."

"I'll be the front man," Sonic admitted.

Amy glanced lovingly to him and purred, "Can I be your little groupie?" Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Hey Ames," smiled Manic as he leaned closer to her. "I was thinking…"

"I'm sorry Manic, but only Sonic can call me that. That's his pet name for me."

"Oh… sorry."

"It's okay, I should have told you sooner… So, what were you going to tell me?"

"Well, maybe I was thinking… you like outfits, right?"

Amy made a gasp so wide a Flicky could have been swallowed by it. "CAN I BE YOUR FASHION DESIGNER FOR THE BAND? CAN I, CAN I, PLEASE?"

"You can design my clothes at least," blushed Manic.

"Not me," declared Sonic. "I jam in the nude."

"Aww, come on Sonic. It'll be fun," Amy insisted. "I'll make you a nice long sleeveless jacket, and put studs all over its back and maybe add some spikes on your shoes… By the way, what kind of music do you guys play?"

"Rock, mostly," answered Manic. "But we can slow it down… you know… for the love ballads?"

While his eyes were trying to fix onto hers, her eyes were glued to Sonic. "Ooooo, love ballads! Are you gonna write a song just for me, Sonikuu? That'd be the sweetest thing ever."

Manic lowered his head, thinking he was fighting a losing battle.

Sonic took notice to his brother's melancholy and finally said, "I can't promise you anything, Ames, but I can promise that once we get things started, you won't be disappointed… And you'll have Manic to thank for it cause he's writing all our songs."

At last, Amy turned to the green hedgehog in earnest. "You write music?"

Manic nodded meekly, "Yeah, I do. But they're kinda old- I've been writing them since I was a kid n' all. Nothin' special."

"Nothing special? Aw, come on man! Ames, this guy can earn ten thousand Rings just by singing and strumming on the street in one day- provided no Rings 'accidentally fall out of purses.'"

"Gee," smiled an intrigued Amy, "that sounds really interesting… I can't wait to hear your music, Maniac."

"Manic."

"Right. Whatever." Amy then rose from her seat, having already eaten her vanilla sundae. "Well guys, I'm off to meet Cream. Take care."

As she started to walk away, she blew Sonic a kiss. He ducked for cover, and Manic pretended to have caught it while Amy wasn't looking. He watched her leave in high spirits.

.

Later that evening, there was a knock on the door. Amy's mother, who was a more rosier red than her daughter, answered it. She called out to her daughter in the kitchen. "Amy! There's a boy here to see y-"

_WHOOSH!_

Amy slid into her mother, knocking her off her feet, to see if it was her handsome hero at the door. "Sonic? …Oh. It's you."

"Hi Amy," waved a meek Manic. "I just wanted to say it was really nice meeting you today. And, I got you something." With that, he pulled out a slender jewelry gift box.

"For… for me?" she stuttered, looking both surprised and charmed. He opened it, and revealed a beautiful diamond necklace.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you today, so I was walking down the street when I saw this in a shop window. And I thought, 'That necklace is just too beautiful to be sitting all alone on a stand. And there's only one girl in the whole world whose neck could do it justice….. I was talking about your neck."

Darn. He was on a roll, and those last-minute jitters made him stumble on that last line.

But still Amy graciously accepted the jewelry. "Thank you so much, Maniac."

"It's…Know what? Just call me Manny, it'll be your pet name for me."

She giggled. "Manny… Okay, I like that. Thank you, Manny."

Suddenly, his green ears twitched to the sounds of distant police sirens. Looking spooked, his eyes darted left and right. "Welp, I gotta go!"

"Oh, won't you stay? We were just sitting down for lunch."

"Yeah, that's really sweet of you- and we will do lunch, I promise! Just… Don't wait up for me. And, I wouldn't wear that out in public. Just in case."

"Just in case of what?"

The police sirens were closing in.

"Bye!" He took off in a dash of green.

Amy was as puzzled as any girl would be; was he actually running from the police? And if so, what did that have to do with the necklace?

She sighed deeply, "Things are gonna get interesting around here, aren't they?"

Indeed.

.

**END**


	99. Survivalism: CyberSally's Sonic, Tails

**WARNING:**_ The following drabble is very, very sad. Read at your own risk._

_To see the inspiration of this drabble, go to NMac1983's pic on Deviant Art entitled _"CyberSally- Save Him." _I strongly recommend you read that story too, as it is beautifully written by a truly gifted writer._

.

"**SURVIVALISM"**

**A Sonic and Tails Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Dedicated to NMac1983**

_Set in NMac1983's "CyberSally" fan-world_

.

The first thing he felt after slowly waking up from his anesthesia slumber was the choking drought in his throat. Immediately after that, he realized that he could barely breathe. He opened his mouth as widely as he could, and sucked in air rather loudly.

"Ack… Ugh…" He tried to cough, but just didn't have the strength to. God, how his throat hurt.

His eyes were half open, but for a few moments they could only see a white haze. Just how long was he out, he wondered? Then a familiar figure leaned over his bed.

"_Sonic…?"_ He heard Tails' voice- he was older now, an adult in fact. As Sonic's eyes tried to focus, the fox's face came into view.

"Sonic, are you awake?"

"Hmm… Tails…"

The fox smiled. "Good, you made it through. I was worried there for a second. How're you feeling, ol' buddy?"

"….water…..please…."

"Right. I'll go get a glass."

It was starting to come back to him now; he was in the hospital, recovering from a horrible attack by some sharpshooter- Fang, perhaps. Anyway, things seemed to be okay now, he was still alive at least. But he was so weak that he couldn't even sit himself up to get a good look at his recovery room. He just rolled his green eyes left and right, up and down… Everything still looked white.

Suddenly, Tails came back with a glass of water. "Here you go, bud. Drink slowly now…"

As the water trickled down through his mouth and throat, he could taste blood.

"Ugh… Ack!" This time, he coughed for real; little droplets of blood splattered. "…What the hell, man."

"You've been through it, alright. You were lucky he didn't hit any of your vital organs."

"Did they get the guy?" Sonic whispered- that was the only real range his voice could muster.

"I don't know. I was here all night, trying to fix you up."

"Heh… you look tired."

"I just wanted to check up on you before calling it a day."

"I'm fine, I… I just can't…" He tried to budge, but nothing happened.

"Sonic, just take it slow. You should probably sleep a little more before…"

"Dude… My legs. I can't feel my legs… or my left arm."

"Relax, big guy, just-"

"Tails. What's going on?" Sonic's voice rose at last, thanks to the panic he was feeling as his efforts to move were in vain. "Why can't I move my limbs?"

"I'm trying to tell you, Sonic. Your injuries were too great; you have to take it easy on yourself."

Sonic wiggled his head until it could look all the way down at the bed, seeing that his arms and legs were hidden under a soft white blanket.

"I can't feel anything down there."

Tails bowed his head. "…Alright, look. I wasn't going to tell you this just yet, because you've already been through so much. …Are you listening?"

Sonic's eyes were fixed on Tails.

Tails took a slow, long sigh. "There's no easy way to say this, bud… We… We couldn't save all of you."

"What?"

"I had something… a way of keeping you alive while we worked on your limbs. There was really no other choice…" With that, Tails lifted the blanket.

There was a brief moment of silence as Sonic's eyes stared at what appeared to be fully metallic feet and legs where his blue fuzzy feet should have been.

"….what…?"

He glanced over to his left arm, seeing that it mirrored that of the Metal Sonic of old.

"…what did you do to me?"

"Sonic, bud, please try to understa-"

The last organic hand he had was used to grip onto Tails' white collar and pull him forward. "You son of a bitch. How could you do this to me?"

Sonic's heart readings were now off the charts; he was starting to pant heavily in mid panic.

"Sonic, listen. Please!" yelped Tails as he pulled back from Sonic's grip. "I did it to save your life, it was the only way!" He pulled himself free, but Sonic was still panting and staring fearfully at his metal limbs. "…Yes. I made a small roboticizer, and I used it to keep you alive and stable while we patched up your wounds. But as you can see, you're not all machine; in fact I would say you're about twenty-five percent machine to your seventy-five percent…"

Sonic turned his lead to the far left, making it clear that he didn't want to hear any more.

Tails continued to plead his case anyway; "I know how this looks. Believe me, I do… But dammit Sonic, I just couldn't let you die. You're my best friend- my brother. What else could I do? …Sonic? …Sonic, please. Talk to me."

Sonic's green eyes crawled back to Tails. Then, they narrowed.

"…You… You're just like Him."

"…..s-…..sonic….."

The hedgehog turned his head again, closing his eyes this time in a feeble attempt to fall back to sleep.

With a heart that weighed two tons, Doctor Prower took a few steps back, gripping his arm as he did so. He knew he wasn't going to get a pleasant response, not from the guy who spent most of his life fighting Badniks, Swat-bots and Robians. ….But to be compared to _him_… That was too much.

Doctor Prower quietly stepped out of the room, sensing his old friend needed to be alone for a while. He would have to take a long walk down the hallway, passing nurses and other doctors along the way, before finally making it to his private office. There, and only there, could he let go of his professionalism and calm demeanor.

There, at his desk, he cried his eyes out.

.

Sonic couldn't sleep a wink; his eyes were starting to dry up and burn. He tried to forget about everything that night, but to no avail. Something hurt deep inside him, much worse than any of the stings from his patched up wounds or his dried up throat combined. His heart was severely broken.

He was wrong to take it out on Tails, and he knew that. But how else could he have reacted? It was different when others were turned into robots or cyborgs- they were the products of an evil man. This was the first time he had ever witnessed a cyberization at the hands of a friend. And Tails, of all people… He sighed.

Suddenly, his room's door creaked open. Oh, great, he's back. Time to write up my apology speech, thought the hedgehog.

"Sonic?" came the soothing voice of Princess Sally.

Sonic's eyes lit up with delight. "Sal…"

By now, she had talked to Tails about their "talk" earlier; she ran to Sonic's bedside and the first thing she did was shower him with kisses on his face. Then she took a breath to say, "Please don't be mad at Tails. It's all my fault; I encouraged him to do it… I just couldn't bear the idea of losing you."

Sonic tried to crack a smile, but the lump in his throat denied him. "…Sal… I'm not… mad at him, I…. I just wish…"

"Things were different. I do too, sweetheart." She kissed his cheek again, only this time he really did smile in response.

"I guess I should just feel lucky to be alive," he whispered. "…But Sal…"

"Yes? What is it, love?"

He took in a small but meaningful sigh before he could say, "I need you to make me a promise- and you have to swear you'll keep it, no matter what."

"Sure, anything Sonic."

"I can live without having real legs and real arms, just as long as I can still think for myself."

"I understand."

"But… If it ever comes to the point where they want to fully roboticize me, don't let them."

"…But Sonic."

"No. you have to do this for me, Sal. It's really important to me."

"What if it's the only way to keep you alive?"

"Sal, I'm not afraid of death. I never was… Death is just part of nature's way, and I can accept that. What I can't accept is living an eternity as a robot, just as Robotnik would want us all to do. Don't you see? If I were to give myself up completely, then he would win. …Sal?"

Her heart was sinking, but she kept a brave face throughout. "Yes?"

"Promise me it'll never come to that. Please."

"…I promise you, Sonic, I'll never let that happen to you."

She gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders before she added, "Will you at least do me one small favor and talk to Tails? He thinks you hate him."

"Sure. Bring him in."

When Tails came back into the room, Sonic seemed to be much more forgiving of his fox friend. But it would take a long time and a lot of adjusting before Sonic could bring himself to be on friendly-speaking terms with him again…

That is, until, his last day on Earth.

.

"CLEAR!"

_**BZT!**_

"…No pulse."

"Charging to four hundred… Stand by… CLEAR!"

_**BZT!**_

"…We've got a pulse, doctor."

"Thank God. Keep him stabilized."

In less than a decade later, the unthinkable happened. Sonic was doing his usual heroic duties against the evil doctor and his cohorts, when his metallic legs gave out and made him a sitting target for an attack. This time, however, the wounds were severe enough to prove fatal. By the time he was rolled into surgery with Doctor Prower on standby, Sonic was an even bigger mess than the fateful night he had lost his legs. It was amazing that they were able to keep him alive at this point.

Tails leaned over Sonic, hoping he could hear him. "Stay with me, buddy. Come on, stay with me… You can pull through this. Just like last time."

"Doctor," frowned a nurse nearby. "We're losing his heart rate again… We may have to fire up the roboticizer."

Of course, the good doctor was already aware of Sally's promise to Sonic: _"No matter what happens, don't let them roboticize me."_ Those were Sonic's words, relayed from Sally to Tails. But it had been years since he said that; could his mind have changed over time? He had to make sure of it.

Tails started to tap Sonic's cheek, forcing him to wake up. "Sonic… Sonic! Can you hear me?"

Sonic's bloodshot eyes peeled themselves open. He couldn't speak, as his mouth was covered by a respirator system.

"Blink if you can hear me, buddy."

He blinked, but weakly.

"Okay, listen… Your vitals are bad. Really bad… We might have to put you under full robotization. But I'm not going to, if you don't want me to…"

Sonic's ears drooped. He looked saddened.

"Just… Blink once if you want the procedure, and twice for no."

So, it had finally come to this. He had to choose now: life as a robot, or death. He stared up at the ceiling without blinking at all, sure to not give Tails the wrong answer.

"…Sonic?"

His green eyes fell back to Tails' blue.

Tails gave him a soft smile. "It's okay…"

Sonic gave him a small, labored nod… then blinked twice.

"Right," Tails nodded back. He then turned to the head nurse. "Give him some morphine!"

"Doctor Prower, we need to use the machine."

"No! Just make him comfortable, that's all he wants."

"But Doctor?"

"I said NO!" He slammed his fist into the tray of surgery tools nearby, making the room fall silent. Tails lowered his head. "…I will not be like Him…" he muttered softly.

Sonic, seeming to have heard him, began to reach out to Tails with his one organic arm, though it was trembling due to lack of energy.

Tails grabbed it and pulled himself back to his old friend and mentor. Sonic's head was squirming; it seemed he wanted his respirator taken out. The fox gently removed the mask, and paused for Sonic to lick his lips. He wanted so very much to say something, one last thing, to his brother. But there was just too much energy spent in him, he could only word it out:

"T h a n k. Y o u …"

The doctor couldn't help but stoke back the blue fur on his forehead before giving it a warm and loving kiss.

"I love you," he whispered.

Sonic could only smile, as the weight of his eyelids became too heavy to bear. He nodded off into sleep, but remained smiling. It was enough for Tails to know that they were still friends- the very best of friends… all the way to the bitter…

.

**END**


	100. Dear SEGA Again: Sonic

_I suggest you read up on SEGA's plans for the next Sonic game before you read this._

_And yes, I've purposely switched the places of Drabbles 1 and 4, because the _"Dear SEGA"_ drabbles are good enough to continue on from one milestone to the next. Enjoy._

.

"**DEAR SEGA (AGAIN)…"**

**A Sonic Drabble**

.

To all of my associates at SEGA and Sonic Team

Dear friends,

I've just read the synopsis for the next game currently titled "Sonic Dimensions," and…

_Sonic paused to keep his head from imploding, before he could keep writing._

…Okay, I think I know what this is all about. You're trying to impress the so-called "fans," right? Yeah, I know they can be a pain. First they bitch about there being not enough of me in the games, and when you took away the playability of my friends, they bitched again. There's just no pleasing these people, is there? But hey, they don't always know what's good for them- they're people! People aren't always right, right?

So I ask you guys, fellas, amigos… WHY ARE YOU ALLOWING RE-COLORS OF ME TO BE CANON?

Do I really have to explain why this is a bad idea? Do I? Fine, I'll explain it. Some fans want to make what they call OC's- that means "original characters." And that's fine. But the problem is, some people (not naming names) lack the originality or the creativity to model a fan character from scratch. So to cut corners, they take a pic of an already-existing character… say, ME for example… and painting over said character with vibrant colors and then slapping on crappy clothes, or extra hair or whatever, and calling it an OC. This pisses off a loooooooooooot of people, and I guarantee you there are already people reading this new game's synopsis, and are already lighting up their torches they'll use to burn down your studios.

Now that I think about it, Shadow is an already canon recolor of me, but I can live with him because he's so fun to mess with. The other day I knocked on his door then ran away so that when he opened the door, nobody was there and it made him look stupid. It was great.

But anyway, back to these Re-colors….. _ugh_….. If you're really doing this to please the fan base, I guarantee you you're only going to appeal to half of them- maybe even a quarter of them. And that's just not good enough! No, seriously, you guys, THINK about the consequences this game could bring if you go through with it.

But hey, I'm just your mascot, so all I can do is trust your judgment (not that it matters, since you've already botched up the whole 2000's for me). I can only hope and pray that this time you know what you're doing, and that you will actually prove me wrong about this project. You've impressed me with "Unleashed," you really did a good job with "Colors," and hell my 20th Anniversary game was pretty much perfect (of course, you still botched up the last boss as usual, but that's for another letter).

Okay you guys, I'm done ranting for now; my awesomely handsome blue butt is- as always- in your hands. Please. PLEEEEEEEEASE, for the love of chilidogs. Don't screw this up for me.

Sincerely your friend,

**Sonic the Hedgehog**

P.S. Kill Amy.


	101. Two Tails?: Sonic and Tails

_So, a lot of you were saying that "Sonic Dimensions" is just a rumor not to be taking seriously. And maybe you're right, but it still deserves Sonic's reaction. ^^_

_Anyway, on to the next Drabble: I've felt that the writers of the story mode of "Sonic Generations" missed an opportunity when Modern Sonic and Tails were in Chemical Plant Zone. It would have been a more fitting entrance for Classic Tails, then just sticking him in the cutscene after the first Boss Battle. (His official intro is when you switch to Classic Sonic in Green Hill Zone, but that still doesn't count.) So here's my revision of that third cutscene. Enjoy._

.

"**TWO TAILS?"**

**A Sonic and Tails… and Tails… Drabble**

**By Snodin**

_Set in "Sonic Generations"_

**.**

Modern Sonic stood on a steel balcony, looking over a pink waterfall in the heart of Chemical Plant Zone.

"Hmm," he mused to himself. "I'm getting déjà vu all over again… I don't forget a smell like that- pew!" He had to pinch his nose to emphasize his disgust.

His ears picked up the familiar sound of helicopter whirls. He turned around to see his old buddy, "Tails! 'Bout time you showed up…"

He paused. Something about Tails didn't feel right; he was much smaller, his eyes were dark, and the little fox was looking up at him as though he was a stranger.

"Sonic? Is that you?" peeped the kit in a high pitched voice.

"Yeah, of course it's me bud!"

Classic Tails started to walk around the giant hedgehog as though inspecting him. "…You've gotten so big! And your spikes are longer… You didn't fall into the chemicals back there did you?"

"Maybe?"

"Aw, no! You must have been mutated somehow! Don't worry, Sonic, I'll find a cure, I promise!"

"W-wait! Tails? I'm… okay…" He couldn't stop the little kit fox from flying away in a hurry. Puzzled, he scratched his chin. "Hmm…"

"Sonic!"

He turned around and saw his old buddy again, only this time he was slightly taller and blue-eyed. "Woah, woah, woah! Easy buddy! I'm totally fine, see?"

Modern Tails furrowed his brows. "Um… Yeah, I see. Whaddya make of this place?"

"Smells almost as rotten as Eggman."

Tails looked over the ledge, seeing the waterfall. "That pink water makes me really nervous for some reason."

"It's fine, like I said earlier. No mutations aquired."

"What're you talking about?"

"Well, you were freaking out earlier when… Wait… Did you just fly in from that way?" He pointed left.

"Yeah?"

"I thought I saw you fly off _that _way." He pointed right.

"…Maybe that pink stuff did mess with your head a little."

Sonic cupped his head. "Geesh! Just when I thought I had the hang of things around here…"

.

Elsewhere, Classic Sonic was staring up at moving platforms of yellow and blue blocks, when Classic Tails found him.

"Sonic!" he smiled.

Little Sonic smiled and nodded at him.

"Boy, it's good to have you back to normal again. I guess the chemical effects wore off."

Sonic shrugged, not knowing what he was talking about.

"Oh well," smiled little Tails. "Come on, let's blow this plant!"

Sonic balled up his fists and nodded, and they took off in a flash, side by side.

.

**END**

.


	102. Team Player: Team Rose

_I'm sorry that I've offended you devoted Amy fans with the "Kill Amy" line in Drabble #100. Here's the thing: IT WAS A JOKE, PEOPLE. I'm sure you've heard of such things as jokes…_

_Anyway, I figure I may as well make it up to you, so here's a Team Rose Drabble. And yes, I DO wish this was the true Team Rose. Make it happen, SEGA and Archie!_

.

"**TEAM PLAYER"**

**A Team Rose Drabble**

_A SEGA/Archie Crossover; no particular universe_

.

_Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!_ –went the shrunk down Piko-Piko hammer on the podium upon which Amy stood, inside a clubhouse built for Cream in her backyard.

"Order! Order! The Sonic the Hedgehog Fans For Life Club, A.K.A. Team Rose, will now come to order!" exclaimed the pink she-hog. "We will begin by taking role call. Amy Rose? …Oh, yeah. Here! Cream the Rabbit?"

Sitting comfortably on a woll rug, Cream raised her hand. "Here."

"Cheese the Chao?"

"Chao-chao!" squeaked the little blue ghost-like creature hovering next to Cream.

Amy looked left and right, seeing that it was just the three of them in the clubhouse, while dozens of photos and posters of Sonic were tacked onto the walls (some of which were taken by Amy's own camera during many of her stalking missions- one or two pictures were of Sonic's back, or were out of focus as she snapped the picture and dashed off to hide).

"Right. I guess that's everybody," she sighed. "Well, that brings us to today's main objective: finding more members for our club. Now as much as we all would like for Big the Cat to come back, he's much too busy fishing and looking for his frog. And after last year's embarrassment at the Grand Prix, I think it's safe to say that we're not inviting back Vector the Crocodile. So, if anybody has any suggestions on who we should recruit, you may now speak."

Cream raised her hand.

"Yes, Cream?"

"What about Miss Blaze? She could be our Speed runner."

"Chao!"

Amy tapped her finger on the podium impatiently. "No, Cream. We've already agreed that I'd be the Speed Type of this group."

Cheese made an angry face. "Chao-chao-chao."

"Aw, Cheese, that's a terrible thing to say," frowned the little rabbit.

Amy narrowed her green eyes at the Chao. "What did he say?"

Cream gulped, "He said you run about as fast as molasses on a concrete pavement on a hot summer day."

Cheese started to laugh, which was cut off by Amy's Piko-Piko hammer throw. It knocked him flat onto the ground.

Looking far less than amused, Amy gripped onto her table and grit fangs. "As Sonic's Number One Greatest Fan Of All Time And Future Wife, I feel as though I have rights to the Speed title. After all, nobody spends more time chasing after Sonic than me!"

"What about Mister Tails?"

"Tails doesn't count because he's a sidekick."

"And Mister Eggman?"

"He's the enemy."

"And Mister Knuckles?"

"He's just an idiot."

"SHUDDUP," came the echidna's voice from a far off distance.

"Well, what about Mister Shadow? Or Mister Silver?"

"Hmm… shadow has his own team, and Silver? …I guess we can ask Silver if he wants in. But he would have to settle for the Power title."

Cheese slowly but surely recovered from being flattened; he was, after all, a creature of pure energy. But he gave Amy a dirty look shortly after reforming.

"What about Princess Sally, or Miss Bunnie?"

"I've thought about them," replied Amy as she leaned on her podium. "But Sally's too busy being royalty, and Bunnie's a married woman- not exactly fan-girl material."

Suddenly, Cream raised her hand with enthusiasm. "Oo, oo, oo! Miss Amy, Miss Amy!"

"Yes, Cream?"

"What about Miss Mina Mongoose? She's a big fan of Mister Sonic, isn't she?"

Amy's eyes widened. "Mina? …But… But she's….."

"Chao-chao-chao?"

"He said, 'She's faster than you. About twelve light speeds faster.'"

Amy growled as she reached for her hammer. But she then realized that she had already thrown it, and now Cheese was holding it up like a trophy, sticking his tongue out at her in victory.

Cream shrugged, "It wouldn't hurt to at least ask her to join our fan club, would it Miss Amy?"

"Look, I'm not gonna bother her; she's a famous singer who tours the world anyway."

"Cha-chao! Cha-chao!"

"He's calling you a chicken."

"I am not. A chicken."

Cheese started to flap his arms like a bird. "Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha!"

"He's imitating a chicken."

Amy's eyes were lit aflame. "I KNOW HE'S IMITATING A CHICKEN!" She then palmed her face in defeat. "…Alright, fine. I'll interview Mina tomorrow, since she's in town anyway. But I doubt she'll even say…"

.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! I do so ever want to join such an awesome Sonic fan club!" cheered Mina, as she hopped up and down like a giddy child as Amy watched from Mina's doorway.

Though the dark void in her eyes suggested disdain, Amy forced a smile. "Really. Just like that… You know, most of our team members are little kids."

"Oh, that doesn't bother me," smiled the yellow mongoose with long lavender hair. "I love kids! I used to babysit before I joined the band, you know."

"Right, I almost forgot… Wait, what'll your boyfriend Ash say about this?"

"Oh he knows I like Sonic, and not in the crazy love-struck kind of way."

"Well look, Mina, there aren't a lot of us, and some people might just think we're really silly. They might even laugh at us."

"I'm no stranger to criticism, and I have absolutely no shame in being a Sonic fan! I have a whole collection of his autographs all over my bedroom walls!"

"Really?" Amy perked up. "Do you have the one from his ice skating gold trophy win in the winter games of 2010?"

"Like, three copies."

"Oh my Gawd, those are priceless! No, but seriously, how much for a copy? Name it!"

"…I thought we were here about your club."

"Oh, right. Yes. The club, the club… Anyway, here's the real kicker: if you join us, you have to be the Power Type. Got it?"

"….Hmm….. Yeah…. No. I'd do much better as the Speed Type."

"Power Type."

"Speed Type."

"Power Type."

"Speed."

"Power."

"Speed."

"Power!"

"Speed!"

"You've got an argument!" exclaimed an Omachao that appeared out of nowhere. "Press the X button to hit your opponent in the nose."

The girls paused in confusion, causing the Omachao to fly away.

"No Power, no club," demanded Amy.

"No Speed, no autograph copy," Mina shot back.

Amy turned away shaking with frustration. "Grrr… Alright, there's only one way to settle this."

.

A few hours later, back in Cream's clubhouse, two cardboard podiums were constructed. One had a rose logo for Amy, the other a musical note for Mina. On the desk top were small bells for the girls to "chime in" their answers to…

"A Sonic Quiz contest!" announced Amy, as Cream and Cheese watched from the wool rug on the floor.

While Cream clapped for both competitors, Cheese was waving a lavender and yellow-striped foam "Number 1" glove for Mina.

While Mina stood behind her podium, she seemed perplexed. "Wouldn't a race make more sense?"

"Shyeah, I wouldn't want to embarrass you like that," Amy lied. "Anyway, whoever gets ten questions right before the other person gets the honor of being the team's Speed runner. Let's begin. Cream, you've got the questions. Read the first one to us, please."

"Okay." Cream stood up and read from cut out pieces of paper: "Where was Mister Sonic born and raised?"

With lightning-fast reflexes, Mina chimed in first. "Green Hill Zone."

"That's correct," smiled Cream. "One point for Miss Mina."

Mina marked a check on the backboard behind her to keep score.

"I knew that one!" grimaced Amy. "Next question Cream, and make it a good one!"

"O-okay… Um… Where did Mister Sonic first meet Miss Amy?"

Mina looked puzzled, allowing Amy to chime in with, "On Little Planet, and I was known then as Rosy the Rascal."

"Very good, Miss Amy… But that still just counts for one point."

"Aww," moaned Amy, forced to check off one instead of two.

.

A few minutes later, and both fan girls were tied with nine points each.

"Okay girls," smiled Cream, "this is it, the big tie-breaker…"

As she said this, her Chao friend Cheese was waving yellow and lavender pom-poms in the air, much to Amy's annoyance.

Cream read from her last card: "When you add all of the Chaos Emeralds, the Sol Emeralds, and the Time Stones together, how many gems do you have?"

Amy chimed in with great enthusiasm: "Twenty-one!"

"That is correct," smiled Cream. Cheese cooed in sorrow, "Chaaaoooo…"

But Mina then argued, "Wait a second! How am I supposed to know all about the magical gems? I've never even heard of Time Stones or Sol Emeralds."

"Well," said a prissy Amy, "that just goes to show that you don't follow Sonic around as much as I do."

"Do the Time Stones even count, Miss Amy?" Cream suddenly asked. "I'm not sure, since many consider them to be the same as Chaos Emeralds."

Mina was now furious with her pink hostess. "You wrote all those questions? You brat! You had this game rigged from the start! I demand a rematch!"

Amy snapped back, "No rematches, I win fair and square. I'm the Speed-type!"

Cheese started to punch the air with furious fists, indicating he wanted to see the girls fight one on one.

"Why is it so important to you, anyway?" Mina wanted to know.

Amy then finally confessed, "Because it's the only way I can keep up with-"

_ZOOM_ went a gust of blue wind from outside.

"SONIC!" Mina and Amy cheered in unison.

In their hurry to leave the clubhouse, their wind gusts blasted straight through the clubhouse's main wall, leaving Cream and Cheese to cough up the dust.

Two gusts of yellow and pink winds were tailing the blue streak at nearly one-hundred miles an hour, but it wasn't long before the pink one started to slow down due to having such low stamina. Amy pulled herself from the race while panting heavily, causing Mina to take down the flurry of blue.

"Gah!" gasped Sonic as he was tackle-glomped by the yellow she-mongoose.

As she had her idol pinned to the ground, Mina waited for her pink rival to arrive to cheer, "Lookie here, Amy! Looks like we know for sure who the real speed-stress is."

Amy was doubled over in both lack of oxygen and misery, and it didn't help matters when the Omachao came hovering down to her level to say, "You've got served!"

With fangs gnashing, Amy summoned her hammer and with a mighty swing she plowed the Omachao into the Earth so hard, it wound up on the other side of the planet.

Sonic blinked twice and awed, "Wow, Ames, that was quite a pounding. You've got power, girl."

Mina smiled widely, "Oo, that's it! We should make her the Power-type!"

But Amy remained reluctant and moaned, "But I don't want to be the Power type. Power types are big, manly brutes. Besides, I want to keep chasing after my Sonikuu."

The blue hedgehog glanced at the two fan girls. "Is that what this is all about? Look Ames, you do whatever you want; don't let your Type slow you down. And Mina… can you get off me, please?"

"Whoops, sorry." Mina blushed as she climbed off Sonic's back, letting him recover from the tackle.

The yellow she-mongoose then walked over to Amy and offered her hand in truce. "Don't worry Amy, you can still be our team leader. After all, I admit that you are the bigger Sonic fan than me."

Feeling satisfied, Amy smiled and accepted Mina's handshake. "Okay then. From here on in, you me and Cream are officially going to be Team Rose."

"Sweet! I should write a song about this."

"Oo, I can help with the lyrics. And me n' Cream will sing backup."

While the young ladies continued to plan their next move as a team, Sonic- with his back aching- managed to slip away unnoticed by his groupies, plotting a letter he would write that evening to Archie.

.

**END**


	103. My One True Love: Dr Robotnik

_Did anybody notice that the last Drabble was my first one with Mina? It only took me 102 entries. Anyway, on to the best version of Eggman ever._

.

"**MY ONE TRUE LOVE"**

**A Doctor Robotnik Drabble**

_Set in "Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)"_

.

They all say that I hate animals.

They are so very wrong.

The truth is, my one true love was an animal.

When I was very young, I had a pet chicken.

I named him Cluck. Because that's what he did. He clucked.

He clucked in the morning, he clucked when I petted him, when I spoke to him, and in the evening he clucked me to sleep.

He was the most handsome and loving bird in the whole world.

Then one day, Cluck got very sick.

I soon learned that he was old, perhaps as old as any chicken could get. He would soon die.

And I was sad, O how I was so, so sad. My heart broke that day, and it was never repaired.

Then I met Sir Charles. He was an inventor- a most brilliant inventor, like myself.

We became friends, and I told him of my poor beloved bird. He was sad for me.

As it turned out, he too had a loved one who was dying. His brother. And he had a most bizarre and truly magnificent solution…

He turned his brother into a robot.

That's when my mind clicked. Of course! Cluck! I could turn him into a robot, and he would be good as new.

Cluck was my first experiment- no one else could dare gain such a privilege.

And just as I had hoped, it not only worked but my dear old friend became an even better-looking bird than ever!

His eyes were a shimmering red, his beak glistening in silver, his feathers all petrified in white gold that could never be tarnished.

And best of all, he still clucked. O, how I missed his gentle, heart-warming cluck.

They all say that I hate animals.

They are so very wrong.

My one true love was an animal- is _still_ an animal- only he is the most perfect, most glorious metallic animal of all time.

All animals should be so glorious.

.

**END**


	104. It's Cold Outside: Sonic and Amy

_Work sucks. Especially when you work in retail… during the holiday rush. It really, really sucks._

_I have to go on haitus for a little while, until the holiday season is finally DONE and I'm free to continue the next chapters of "Sonic Warriors/Iron Wars." So consider this Drabble to be my contribution to the holiday season. Peace and love, always.(And feel free to imagine your own little choreography during the song.)_

_Oh, and Happy New Year too, as this will likely be the last Drabble (and fanfic) of 2011._

.

"**IT'S COLD OUTSIDE"**

**A Sonic and Amy Drabble**

_Song: "Baby It's Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser_

_Sung by Sonic and Amy, respectively_

.

It was nice and warm in Amy's living room, with the smell of oatmeal cookies baking in the kitchen and the windows and stair railing decorated in holly garland for Christmas. Not to mention the fact that it had suddenly begin to snow outside- funny, the weatherman called for sun all day. All of this was making Sonic feel like he had to stay a little longer, even if he was just here to drop off a present for his pink fan-girl.

He was sitting on one end of a long couch, Amy sitting on the other side. She insisted that he stay for some hot cocoa, but the more he turned away to take a sip, the closer and closer she inched. It was making him feel uncomfortable.

He took one last sip, and as he turned to his left he realized her face was right there; their noses nearly touched. "Yah!" he yelped, jumping back in surprise.

Amy batted her eyes. "Isn't this nice, Sonikku? Just you and me, in this big ol' house? And look, a storm's moving in. We better get cozy, huh?"

"Uh… yeah. Look Ames, it was nice of you to invite me here, but I got other people to visit for the holiday. So…"

It was no use; no matter how much he resisted, she kept on moving closer with a flirtatious smile. This wasn't an invitation; it was a trap.

_I really can't stay / But Sonic, it's cold outside_

_I've got to save the day / But Sonic, it's cold outside_

_This evening has been / Been hoping that you'd drop in_

_So very nice / I'll take your hands, they're just like ice!_

_Now Tails, he might start to worry / Sonikuu, what's your hurry?_

_And Knuckles will be pacing the floor / Listen to the fireplace roar_

_So really I'd better… what fireplace? / Sonikuu, please don't hurry_

_Well maybe just a half a drink more / Put some music on while I pour_

_The neighbors might think… / Sonic, it's bad out there_

_Hey, what's in this drink? / No Rings to be had out there_

_I wish I knew how… / Your eyes are like Starlight (Zone) now_

_To break the spell / I'll take your hat, your quills look swell_

_I ought to say no, no, no girl / Mind if I move in closer?_

_At least I'm gonna say that I tried / What's the sense in hurting my pride?_

_I really can't stay / Sonic, don't hold out,_

_(Both) Ah, but it's cold outside._

_I simply must go / But Sonic it's cold outside_

_The answer is no! / But Sonic, it's cold outside_

_This evening has been / Been hoping that you'd drop in_

_So nice and warm / Look out the window at that storm!_

_Now Eggman might feel ambitious / Gosh you look so delicious_

_He's gonna try to settle the score / Waves upon a tropical shore_

_I'm starting to get suspicious / Gosh your lips look delicious_

_Well, maybe just one chili dog more / Never such a blizzard before_

_I've got to get home / Sonic you'll freeze out there_

_Say, lend me your comb / It's up to your knees out there!_

_You've really been grand / I love when you touch my hand_

_But don't you see? / How can you do this thing to me?_

_There's bound to be talk tomorrow / Think of my lifelong sorrow_

_At least there will be plenty implied / If you caught pneumonia and died_

_I really can't stay / Get over that ol' doubt_

_Amy/Sonic it's cold outside!_

When he finally made it to the door, Amy was practically being dragged with her arms locked onto his legs. But he opened the door widely, revealing the truth behind the snowstorm: Team Rose- Cream, Cheese, Big and Mina- were throwing small white down feathers and cotton balls around the window.

Sonic let out a small annoyed gruff, and took off in a flash, leaving Amy to lie on her belly on the welcome mat. With a pout, she punched the mat and sighed deeply.

Oh well, maybe next Christmas…

.

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS**


	105. Bad Medicine: Shadow and Gerald

_My apologies for such a long hiatus, but the real world needed me. Now that I have some time on my hands, it's back to basics._

.

"**BAD MEDICINE"**

**A Shadow and Gerald Drabble**

_Requested by Ghostkid33 (I think)_

.

"Here, Shadow. I need you to take this medicine for me, just hold out your arm."

The black and red hedgehog sat calmly on the table while his creator stuck a syringe needle into a mysterious jar of dark ooze. Unbeknownst to Shadow, Professor Gerald Robotnik was about to inject a very deadly poison into his system. It was the first step in testing whether or not he had successfully created the "Ultimate Life Form."

There was just one problem: Now that Shadow had become a thinking and feeling person, Gerald was now faced with a moral dilemma- what if he had failed? What if this toxin actually killed his own creation… his own son?

"Professor?" blinked the hedgehog. "Are you alright? You don't look so good."

Gerald was a brilliant scientist, but a terrible actor; he couldn't hold back the sweat from his brow, nor the obvious gloom in his frown. But he sighed, "I'm alright, Shadow. Just keep still, and let me know if you feel anything strange."

"Should I feel strange?"

"No… Well, maybe. It may tingle a bit." Gerald gulped softly as the needle pieced Shadow's arm. The scientist flinched far more than the hedgehog did. Quickly he turned away, already feeling like he had betrayed his new friend.

Then came the most agonizing part of the experiment: The wait. Gerald's eyes were glued to the clock on the wall, while Shadow hopped off of the table and into a small chair to resume reading a novel he had halfway finished. For the scientist, the minutes seemed like hours, and he couldn't stop sweating.

"…Well, Shadow? How do you feel?"

The hedgehog laid back in his chair, kicking up his feet. "I feel fine, Professor."

"Really? …No tingliness? No chills or anything?"

"Nope, just a little hungry. That's all."

"Oh… Well, good." _Whew_, he sighed in relief. Surely if Shadow was a normal hedgehog, he would have keeled over in death by now.

Shadow then closed his book and stood up. "I'm going for a jog."

Gerald stood by silently while his test subject left the room. He was thankful that Shadow was so loyal in that he never questioned the real reason behind taking his monthly "medicines". And truthfully, this was the third time the professor was forced to inject Shadow with such toxins. It was all part of the grander scheme, of course, and it seemed as though things were looking up for the quest in creating an ultimate life form.

But still, he knew that with every dosage he would have to give, Gerald would die a little more inside.

.

**END**


	106. Too Close For Comfort: Sonic 4 Ep 2

_Why yes, I _have_ been watching the Beta gameplay of this game._

.

"**TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT"**

**A Sonic and Tails Drabble**

_Set in "Sonic the Hedgehog 4- Episode 2_

.

**Winter Park, Boss Battle.**

While Sonic and his best buddy Tails would have loved to enjoy the roller coaster ride, even if it was well below zero degrees Fahrenheit, their joyriding had to wait. Metal Sonic, seen once before by the main hero, was mysteriously back online and was now enticing the duo to a race him across the never-ending tracks of the coaster. Not one to turn down a race, Sonic kicked it into high gear with Tails following close behind.

Metal Sonic had rigged the tracks with bouncers so that his enemies would be launched from one track to another, and there he hopes to catch them off guard with a roll attack. But the hedgehog and fox were as fast to think as they were fast on their feet, and easily jumped over him as he rolled toward them.

Sonic's metallic doppelganger was a clever one too; he was equipped with a new form of sound waves that sent shocks to his enemies if they dared to get too close. On top of that, he made sure to knock out parts of the tracks so that Sonic and Tails may have fallen into a bottomless pit trap. But once those tricks started to fail, he had one more trick up his sleeve: small electric spark-balls that he flung at the animals like projectiles. Once Sonic and his buddy got hot and lost a good amount of their rings, Metal Sonic felt as confident as ever.

"Come on Tails," cheered Sonic to his sidekick, "let's show him our new special attack: The Super Double Spin-Dash!"

They hadn't officially given it a name yet, but Tails knew exactly what his friend had in mind. "Okay," he nodded.

Sonic leapt into the air with his arms and legs stretched out, and Tails threw himself just underneath the hedgehog. In a flash, they grabbed onto each others' arms and legs, and as they hit the ground they started to roll in the form of a giant blue and orange furred boulder.

Suddenly, Metal Sonic screeched to a halt, while still hovering in the air by means of the rocket boosters under his "shoes."

"**What. Is. This?"** he blinked.

Sonic and Tails stopped their roll, realizing that their foe had given up the chase. They found themselves piled onto one another, with Tails' tails wrapped around Sonic's neck like a boa.

"Hey, what gives?" frowned Sonic. "Did you lose your juice already, Metalhead?"

Metal Sonic paused, looking as emotionless as ever but cocking his head like a confused puppy. **"Hedgehog. Fox. Merged. …Does not compute."**

"No, no," shook Tails' head, though it was stuck in between Sonic's legs. "We're not merged, we're just in a team attack."

Metal shook his head. **"Does not compute. Heads. Legs. Merged."**

Sonic rolled to the side as he brushed the fox tails away, giggling. "Oh-ho, no! No, it-it's not like that at all."

"**Looked like it. Looked… kinky."**

"It's just an experiment, we're working on it!" protested Tails.

"**What-ever. This unit. Will not. Judge. But. Will not. Participate. Either. I'm. Out. Of. Here."** Then the Sonic-shaped machine flew away to parts unknown.

Sonic and Tails exchanged looks of confusion, until at last Sonic frowned, "You know…? That polar bear machine kinda looked at us funny too the last time we double spin-dashed."

Tails, looking quite mortified, sat up and bowed his head. "Maybe the world's just not ready for that attack yet…"

"…It was kind of weird."

"…Yeah…"

"…And your tails tickled my nose."

"Sonic!" blushed Tails.

"Sorry, sorry!"

The little fox's ears drooped downward while he lingered in his awkwardness. "…Let us never speak of this again."

"Agreed."

And to this day, the double-spin attack was never replayed.

.

**END**


	107. Getting Hammered: Amy vs King Dedede

_Great. Now King Dedede's boss theme is stuck in my head….. Wait… I actually like that tune._

.

"**GETTING HAMMERED"**

**An Amy vs. King Dedede Drabble**

_Set in the "Super Smash Brothers" Universe_

.

**Somewhere in Green Hill Zone.**

Sonic was lying down with his back against a palm tree, quietly reading a comic book, when he heard the familiar stomping boots of his would-be love interest, Amy Rose. She came marching into view with both hands tightly gripped onto her Piko-Piko Hammer.

"Alright, where is he? …Where IS he?" she shouted angrily.

Seeing the fury in her eyes, Sonic gulped. "Oh cripes, what'd I do now?" he asked himself.

The pink she-hog stopped in front of her hero. "Sonic, is it true? Is there some big fat blue penguin going around with a hammer for a weapon?"

Realizing that he wasn't her target (at the moment), Sonic sighed deeply. "Ah… Oh! You mean that Dee-Dee guy from Dreamland? Yeah, he's got a hammer."

"I knew it. I knew someone was stealing my act! How dare he!"

"Well, to his credit Ames, he's been using that hammer in his own world for a couple years now. In fact, he might have been wielding his own hammer before you even had yours."

"I won't just stand around while some flabby bird-man upstages me."

"He's a king, Ames."

"Whatever! I'm the Hammer Queen, and I'll be darned if I don't meet him in battle for the title of Number One Hammer User."

Sonic stood up, placing his comic book to the side. "Sorry Amy, but you've gotta be qualified to be in the game. Now me and Shadow, we came in at the last minute but we were lucky to even get in, and poor Shad's nothing more than a trophy."

The pink she-hog narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you saying I'm unqualified?"

A large bead of sweat trickled down the back of Sonic's head. "I'm just saying these things take time. But if you want, I can at least introduce him to you. In fact, there's a Brawl going on right over there by the loop-de-loop."

"Why didn't you just say so? Come on, let's go beat down that bird-man!"

"But wait, we-" Before he could finish his sentence, Sonic found himself being dragged by the ear toward the battle stage.

Sure enough, King Dedede himself was part of a four-way battle on the customized battleground between Toon Link, Bowser and Pikachu the Pokémon. Since they were uninvited, as Sonic tried to warn Amy, they were forced to take a seat in the background so as not to interfere with the friendly competition.

While Sonic watched the group with a sense of familiarity, Amy was completely confused at the sight of a cartoon child wielding a sword, a yellow rat spitting lightning and a giant turtle/dragon with a spiked shell breathing fireballs. "…Who_ are_ these people? And where did they come from?"

"It's kind of a long and funny story," smiled Sonic, "but here's the short skinny: After we beat some alien thing from wiping out our universes, we decided to hold annual battles to keep ourselves fit just in case something like that ever happens again. Oh, and there's the king right there, in the Santa Clause robe."

Amy's gazed fixated on the blue penguin as he bounced up and down across the field with the same weightlessness as a balloon. "…He doesn't look all that tough."

"Wait for it."

As King Dedede approached Toon Link, his mallet opened up to reveal some kind of cannon which charged up to unleash a massive slam attack. With one swing, he knocked Toon Link clear out of sight and out of contention.

"…Okay," nodded Amy. "That was impressive."

Still, Sonic remained neutral. "Wait for it."

Pikachu's thunderbolts proved a bigger challenge, but the king countered by throwing his own minions- little oink birdlike creatures called Waddle Dees–at the little yellow rat. When that didn't work, he inhaled so much air at once, that Pikachu got sucked right into the vortex, then was spat back out as a star toward Bowser.

"No fair," huffed Amy. "He's using those poor little puffballs to fight his battle! Plus that last move was just plain disgusting."

"Wait for it."

Amy chuffed, "Wait for _what_, Sonic? I feel like I've seen everything!"

Sonic then pointed upward. "That."

That's when Amy realized that a small glowing orb had appeared in the air, floating aimlessly on the battlefield. While Pikachu was still in play, he and the other two combatants began to jump as high as they could, each wanting to grab the orb as if it meant life or death. King Dedede's foot landed on Bowser's nose, giving him an extra jump to successfully seize the Smash Ball.

Sonic suddenly tensed up and recoiled in his seat. "Here it comes."

Amy still looked on in puzzlement. Just what was so scary about this fat little penguin, she wondered?

Then, it happened. The sky fell black, and King Dedede was haloed in rainbow light. _"Pheeeeet!"_ whistled the king. Strange bongo music began to play, as the penguin-like character began to bounce side to side while waving his hands in dance. All at once, a barrage of Waddle Dees appeared onto the scene and charged at Bowser and Pikachu in relentless fury. Their rush was like a tsunami wave, pummeling and overwhelming their king's opponents. It all happened so quickly and so strongly, that both the Koopa king and electric Pokémon were pushed out of the arena in this, the Final Smash. King Dedede chuckled in victory, as sunlight returned to the battlefield where he stood alone.

Sonic then turned to his admirer with half open eyes. "Now I ask you, Ames, do you really want to compete with _that_?"

For a moment, Amy's face turned pale and her mouth shriveled in fear. Then she re-gripped her own hammer, and humbly started to walk away.

"Where're you going?" wondered Sonic.

Without turning back to him, she replied, "Wherever there's a Badnik that needs smashing; I've clearly got some practicing to do."

Sonic sighed and shrugged; in his mind, he already knew who ruled the hammer.

.

**END**


	108. This Means War: MechaSally Arc

_NOTE: This may seem like nothing more like a summary of the current Archie storyline, but it's meant to feel more like a music video. Just wanted to make that clear._

.

"**THIS MEANS WAR"**

**A Sonic and Friends vs. Eggman/Nagus Drabble**

_Set in the Archie Comics Universe, during the Mecha-Sally Arc_

_Song "This Means War" is by Nickelback_

.

All was peaceful in the valley, the heart in which New Mobotropolis sat… except for the giant egg-shaped spaceship in the sky that hovered just over the city. It was the Death Egg, Mach 2- just released by the menacing Doctor Eggman. No one knew just how long he took to rebuild this horror of a spacecraft, all they knew was that it had to be grounded, and fast. Deep within the spacecraft, a battle was already taking place; smoke and bursts of explosions gave it away from the outside looking inward. But if one were to zoom in all the way to the center of the Death Egg, one would see that the evil side was winning.

Sally Acorn, princess of New Mobotropolis, slammed her newly mechanized foot onto the ground, shaking the debris around her. In her clutches was her champion and beloved, Sonic the Hedgehog. Despite all of his efforts, even going to the point of backtracking through time, he could not save her. (Well, he did… but not in the way that he had hoped.)

Helplessly, he struggled in her cold steely grasp, while his arch nemesis, the evil Dr. Eggman, looked on triumphantly. Though the doctor was burnt from the recent explosion, he knew that this fight was his. And before Sonic could even gasp for his next breath, Mecha Sally tossed him like a ragdoll out of the dome through a giant hole in the wall. Waiting to catch him outside was his best friend Tails, piloting the Tornado. Even with Sonic safely retrieved, Tails could see by his bruises and singed quills that for the first time- perhaps ever- Sonic had lost the fight.

_Get right into the ring, _

_For a battle that you can't win._

_Swing as hard as you can swing,_

_It was doing me nothing._

_Should have seen it coming,_

_It had to happen sometime…_

_But you went for the knife_

_To an all-out gunfight._

Empowered by his new victory, Eggman turned his attention to other cities around the world- from a small town called Furville to the ancient Babylon of the Dragon Kingdom. In tow were his newest robot servants, Orbot and Cubot, though judging by their simplicity they weren't exactly the most inept of the doctor's creations. Fortunately for him, he had a new ally on his side, the newly roboticized Princess Sally. Together, they watched from the Death Egg as capture capsules rained down on the helpless cities, while swarms of robots flew in and herded the small fuzzy-faced inhabitants into their new prisons.

_And the only thing to save _

_Is the banner that you wave,_

_To be wrapped around your grave._

_You've gone too far!_

_Who do you think you are?_

_Is this what you came for?_

_Well, this means WAR!_

However, Eggman had overlooked one very important thing: his nephew, Snively. All this time, Snively Robotnik had been plotting to usurp Eggman from his throne, and once his back was turned, the little bald lackey took off in a small ship, heading straight for the Dragon Kingdom where he would reunite with his partner in crime, Iron Queen Regina.

Together, Snively and Regina set a mechanized robot designed like an armored Oni after Eggman and his robot goons. For a moment, it looked as though the couple had finally caught their rival in a trap; however, Eggman was prepared for such an event and brought his own mecha-suit into the fray. Punches were thrown, shards of metal were sheared, but ultimately the Oni-mech fell in defeat.

_._

_Say anything you want,_

_The talk will get you nowhere._

_The only thing you promise_

_Like a logical warfare. _

Things weren't exactly peaceful back in New Robotropolis, either. Already the kingdom was besieged by a megalomaniac wizard named Ixus Naugus- a fusion of a lobster, bat and rhino, the souls of which still lingered. But he was not alone; he had the help of a treacherous skunk, Geoffrey St. John. Geoffrey swore to himself that Naugus was the true heir to the Acorn throne, but it might have been because he was still grieving for the loss of his wife, Hershey the Cat.

The two of them looked down on their subjects from a castle window, while a mob outside gathered around Nicole, the city's digital computer in lynx form. While she was still mourning the loss of her best friend Sally, the mob shook their fists at her, growling, warning her to "Get out." Nicole looked up at Naugus, who held her fate in his hand and claw. But with a nod and a wicked smile, his sentence was clear: Banishment. Nicole lowered her head sadly, and her physical form dissolved into green data, then disappeared completely.

_There's no getting out,_

_And now you've gotta wonder,_

_Who will dig you out_

_When you're six feet under? _

The mad king Naugus was a clear threat to the Acorn family, especially now with Sally out of his way. Her brother and sister-in-law had no choice but to flee, but while they were being escorted by Sonic and his friends, Naugus had them followed. And who better to follow and attack them than Doctor Eggman?

While riding extreme gears (hover boards, if you will), two of Sonic's friends- Antoine D'Coolette and his newly de-roboticized wife Bunnie- were hit hard by both Mecha Sally and Metal Sonic. Antoine was especially injured in the fight, having endured a close explosion by Metal Sonic and knocked off his board quite savagely.

As Antoine lay still on the ground, Bunnie kneeled down by his side and began to cradle him in her arms, tears pouring out like waterfalls. It looked like a tragic end for the coyote, yet his heart was still beating.

Even though Antoine survived, his fate was still unsure. This only angered Sonic even more, as he clenched his fist so tightly he could have broken his palm while he stared up at the new Death Egg.

_And the only thing to save _

_Is the banner that you wave_

_To be wrapped around your grave._

This was the turning point of the war; with Antoine in a coma and Bunnie strayed in search of answers, they were no longer ready to fight, and the villains were becoming more and more confident in their successes. But Sonic, Tails and Amy Rose were only getting angrier. Bolder. It was time for a comeback.

_You've gone too far!_

_Who do you think you are?_

_Is this what you came for?_

_Well, this means WAR!_

Thanks to the help of the city's council, two new hero teams were formed: Team Freedom, led by Rotor Walrus and accompanied by Big the Cat and Cream the Rabbit (with Cheese the Chao); and Team Fighters, led by Sonic the Hedgehog and his closest friends Tails and Amy. Already, Team Fighters tore across the valley with reckless abandon toward Furville, the first city on their list to be liberated. And within just seconds after they flew into the city, robots were pulverized into heaps of scrap metal, and all of the capture capsules released.

_._

Elsewhere, other signs of hope were emerging.

Back in New Mobotropolis, Rotor the Walrus- a former Freedom Fighter- armed himself with a virtual-linked suit of yellow armor complete with a visor over his eyes. He raised out his hand as though expecting someone else to put theirs over his in alliance. Immediately, two hands clasped his- the massive paw of Big the Cat, and the tiny paw of Cream the Rabbit. The trio (or quartet, if you counted Cheese the Chao) became Team Freedom, the city's new defensive line against outside danger.

Another alliance formed that same moment, only this one did so well away from King Naugus' eyes. It was Harvey Who the owl that was the mastermind behind this new team, the Secret Freedom Fighters. He shook the hand of former King Elias while the squirrel was dressed in his new ninja-like suit. With them stood two she-wolves, a short male lynx, Metal Sonic 2.5, and newly appointed team member, the time traveling Silver the Hedgehog.

Chief Lupe of Shazamazon was also armed for battle, but this time she was backed up not just by wolves, but by her former rivals, the Felidae wildcat clan. The two queens looked on while the Dark Egg Legion approached their jungle en mass.

And speaking of the Dark Egg Legion, the wildcat members were moving about in the shadows through the jungles of Shazamazon. But among them was a small, thin figure, covered up in a full body black robe. But the robe could not conceal her long black tail, nor her sharp black paws. And if one were to look closely as she zipped by in the shadows, one might have caught a glimpse of her white, blue-eyed face.

_._

_And the only thing to save _

_Is the banner that you wave_

_To be wrapped around your grave._

Team Fighters kept on burning rubber through the fields of Mobius- well actually, it was Sonic burning rubber, while Tails carried Amy in the air with his tail propellers. By the cocky smile on Sonic's face, one could see that they were making great progress in little time. Just like old time, he would say. But of course, all roads came with blocks, and eventually Sonic had to come to a screeching halt, holding out his arms to catch Tails and Amy who came from behind. All three of them looked up at the menacing road block that stood before them: a fully "weaponized" Mecha Sally, her sword-arms raised for battle.

_You've gone too far!_

_Who do you think you are?_

_Is this what you came for?_

_Well, this means WAR!_

This was it, the moment Sonic especially had feared. He knew he was going to face his princess sooner or later… but he preferred it to come later. Still, after one moment of cautionary pause, he narrowed his eyes in defiance.

In a flash, he spin-dashed into her, pushing her backward and causing her feet to dig deep into the ground in a failed attempt to put on the brakes. But his quills couldn't- or wouldn't- pierce her, and she came back with her bladed arms flailing. Amy and Tails watched intensely as their hero duked it out with his one true love, across the field and even while darting through the air.

But of course, Doctor Eggman just had to move his Death Egg Mach 2 into view so that he could soak in the glory of watching Sonic struggle. This only infuriated Team Freedom even more.

Suddenly, two groups of heroes came dashing out of the woods from different sides: Team Freedom, and the Secret Freedom Fighters. This was an indication that their personal battles were already over, and they were saving him for last.

Not ones to be left out of the fray, Team Fighters- with Sonic pushing Mecha Sally aside- pushed themselves forward with improbable momentum toward the Death Egg. For once, Eggman winced in worry. He pushed a button, and unleashed just about all of his remaining robot soldiers- all two-thousand of them- toward the advancing heroes.

While all of the other furry heroes were held back by oncoming robots, one just kept moving forward. That was Sonic, spinning and bouncing off one metallic foe after another, going faster and faster, not once taking his green eyes off of the Death Egg. But as he came closer and closer, his eyes started to shift color, from a sharp green to a burning red. Also, his quills started to morph from a cool blue to shimmering gold. It was as though by will, he was transforming into Super Sonic.

Eggman caught a glimpse of the approaching golden hedgehog's reflection in his glasses.

And he shivered.

_Well, this means WAR!_

.

**END**


	109. Next of Kin: Shadow and Hope

_In a recent reply to the Drabbles, a Shadow fan mistook my first Drabble as an anti-Shadow rant. My apologies to that reviewer, perhaps I didn't make it clear that I was narrating as** Sonic** in that Drabble. But anyway, I hope this one makes up for it. So Shadow fan, whoever you are, this one's for you._

_Apparently, Ian Flynn wanted Shadow to have a part in the "Eggman Scrambled" arc in "Sonic Universe," but SEGA told him they had plans for Shadow, which explains why he and Rouge weren't at GUN HQ. So here's my take on what happened when they did arrive, after the building was nearly destroyed._

.

"**NEXT OF KIN"**

**A Shadow and Hope Drabble**

_Set in the Archie-verse, after "Sonic Universe #40"_

.

G.U.N. Headquarters; the sun was setting in the horizon, and the smoke from the recent battle was starting to clear. But thanks to potholes in the streets made by Eggman's machines, getting to the front doors of the building would prove difficult even for the ambulances waiting to pick up injured soldiers.

Thankfully, Shadow had a friend who just happened to have the ability to fly. Rouge the Bat carried her Team Dark member through the air and over the debris that littered the street. They only needed to take one quick look at the Eggman face-shaped heads of the super-mechs that were toppled and lying on their sides to know just who hit their headquarters.

"Doctor Eggman," murmured Shadow darkly, as he and Rouge landed at the front door.

Looking just as vengeful as her partner, Rouge clenched her fists. "What nerve! Who does he think he is, attacking G.U.N. like this?"

Shadow crossed his arms. "He wouldn't, unless he was looking for something."

"**Not something. Some-one."** Shadow and Rouge turned to be greeted by their bulky robotic friend and fellow Team Dark member…

"Omega," gasped Rouge. "What happened? Are you badly damaged?"

The metallic hulk indeed looked a bit singed. **"All major parts have been repaired. Shadow. Rouge. You will be briefed by the Commander."**

The hedgehog and bat nodded in reply.

.

Commander Abraham Tower say in his chair in the main security room with his many computer screens locked on the sites outside that took the most damage from the assault. When Team Dark marched into the room, the commander stood up to greet them.

"Commander," frowned Shadow, "We got word that the building was under attack- I'm sorry we didn't get here in time."

The white-haired man with two differently colored eyes replied with a sigh, "You did your job you two, and that was protecting the president of the federation… Still, we never could have expect Eggman or his nephew to have such gall as to attack us at our front doors. And all of this was, apparently, just to have Snively try and steal away his half-sister Hope."

"Hope?" gasped Shadow in horror. "Where is she? Is she alright?"

"Omega will tell you the whole story, and will take you to her laboratory."

"**Yes, Commander."** Omega saluted his boss and escorted Shadow out of the room, leaving Rouge with the commander.

Tower looked to Rouge and grimly added, "There's been another turn of events that we need you to know about, Agent Rouge."

"Yes, sir?"

"We don't know when or how he did it, but Eggman has captured and Legionized some of our own G.U.N. troops, and used them against us in the fight today."

Rouge clasped her mouth. "No…!"

"I believe they were the paladin team we've sent out on a special mission, months ago. When we lost contact with them, one of our special agents went on a solo mission to try and get them back. Now he's missing in action, which tells me Eggman got to him too."

"Agent Brass?"

"Yes…" The commander paused and glanced away, perhaps cursing himself on the inside for allowing all of this to happen.

Rouge's eyes turned to the floor as she tried to collect her own thoughts. Then she recovered herself much faster than her commander as she quickly looked up to him, her eyes ablaze with vengeance. "We'll get them back, commander. We'll get them all back, and we'll make Eggman pay for all of this."

Tower cracked a smile, for once. "That's the spirit, Agent Rouge."

.

Shadow and Omega entered the lab room in which Hope was expected to be. But instead of spotting the little blonde girl first, their focus fell onto the glass orb on the floor, which was broken while a small torch burned inside. The orb was connected by a large cable to a small machine run by a laptop computer. The little girl responsible for these machines was sitting behind the hardware next to the broken orb, sat up with her legs curled. Her head was bowed and her eyes were shut- she looked asleep.

Shadow walked around the machines to stand by her side. "…Hope?" he peeped softly.

The girl opened her eyes and looked up at her fuzzy friend. "Sh-shadow. Where…?"

He took to a knee and replied, "I got here as soon as I could. Are you alright?"

Her face was already tear-dried, but still she wiped her nose with her arm. "...Did you hear about Snively, how he snuck in here and tried to talk me into joining him against Eggman?"

"I've gotten the gist of it."

Hope sighed, "I have the worst family on the planet."

"Heh," huffed Shadow, cracking an unintentional smile. "…I can relate." He then took a seat by her side. "So… I hear you managed to create a fire shield."

"Yeah. That's what I was working on lately- that, and an electric shield and possibly a bubble one in case someone needs air underwater…" She sniffled again. "I used the fire one to scare off Snively."

"Good for you." He then pat her shoulder, easing her tension a bit.

"It just hurts so much to know that just about everyone in my family is some kind of maniac… You know, he talked about getting away from Eggman and rescuing his girlfriend and the three of us would 'start over' somewhere safe."

"Wait. Snively has a girlfriend now?"

"Yep."

Shadow paused to envision Snively with a woman… then he shivered. "Ehh…"

"But then he goes, 'We're all gonna overthrow Eggman and take the Eggman Empire for ourselves.' I was so mad at him at that point, I hit him. Then he turns on me, calling me a selfish brat- or something along those lines. That's when I engaged the fire shield and he took off."

"Typical. He's always been a coward."

Hope sighed deeply. "Aw Shadow, I really wanted to believe that he was going to change and be good for once. I thought he was going to completely leave that life behind…"

"I hate to say this, Hope, but if he hasn't learned anything by now, he never will."

She rested her chin on her knees. "Like I said… my family life sucks."

The black hedgehog paused to think of what to say that would lift her spirits, until at last it came to him: "Well, at least you have me."

She perked up. "Hmm?"

"Well, technically I'm the son of Gerald Robotnik. I think he called me 'son' once. Anyway, I might not be a blood relative, but if you want you can see me as a… as a, uh…"

Trying to help, Omega spat out some suggestions: **"Cousin. Uncle. Brother-in-law, twice removed."**

Shadow glanced up at the robot and growled in annoyance.

But Hope laughed, quite abruptly. In fact, her sudden spout of joy caused her eyes to squirt out some more tears. "Heh, heh… You guys." As she wiped away her last tear, she wrapped her arm around the hedgehog. "Thank you, Shadow. I know I can count on you and your friends. And you're right; in a weird way, we are kind of like family… I'm glad you feel the same way."

"I do," admitted the hedgehog. "…Just, don't expect any piggyback rides anytime soon."

"I won't," she giggled softly.

Omega raised an arm. **"I am an efficient vessel- you may ride my piggy back."**

"That's okay, Omega," smiled Hope. She glanced at Shadow, then at Omega. "Thanks for cheering me up, anyway."

Shadow smiled and nodded, "Anytime, Hope." He then balled a fist and tapped it with hers.

"**I am confused. Are we now a family group?"**

Shadow sighed, "Yeah, sure. You can be part of the family."

"**Then we must add Agent Rouge. And the Commander."**

"Rouge, yes. Commander, no."

"**Then he will miss out on family game night."**

Shadow palmed his face.

Hope laughed again.

Somehow, all was right in the world again.

.

**END**


	110. Good Grief: Super Mario Brothers Wii

_I've been watching a lot of "Super Gaming Brothers Likes to Play" on You Tube. Those guys are a laugh riot, I highly recommend you watch them, and Johnny's other video game commentary board "Brainscratchcomms." The SGB Let's Play of Mario Brothers Wii is by far the funniest, which inspired this Drabble._

.

"**GOOD GRIEF"**

**A Mario Brothers Drabble… Sort of**

_Set in "Super Mario Brothers Wii" (Again, sort of)_

.

Deep within the forest kingdom, where giant caterpillar-like creatures roamed, the Mario Brothers- accompanied by two Toads, one blue and one yellow- were in hot pursuit of the Koopalings that kidnapped their beloved Princess Peach. They had already cleared four kingdoms at this point, but still the chase was on. This time, it was the tallest of the Koopa Kids, Iggy Koopa, who awaited them at the castle. But that was the least of their worries; besides venturing through cold and dank caves, treading across poisonous lakes and battling an infestation of Koopas, the heroes had one other thing going against them: each other.

Take for example, Level 5-3.

The road was broken up into pieces, which might not have been much of a problem if there wasn't a river of purple poison flowing around and through it. Even stranger were the creatures inhabiting this place: large coconut-headed plants with vine legs covered in thorns, that wobbled from one platform to another. One stomp from their sucker-like feet, and it was all over. But it would have been a piece of cake, had everybody been a team player…

The first two enemies were no problem; Mario jumped on the first one's head, and Yellow Toad did the same to the second. After that, it was a hop skip and a jump to the first power-up box, which unleashed two red mushrooms- both snagged by Blue Toad- and two Fire Flowers- one snagged by Blue Toad and one by Luigi.

"_Nice one, Knuckles,"_ Mario seemed to say to the Blue Toad.

"_Why thank you,"_ the Blue Toad seemed to reply.

While Mario and Yellow Toad took their time hopping over the small chasms flooded by poison, Luigi took off into the lead, firing his fireballs from his hands like mad. Unfortunately for him, he was moving too fast and his fireballs missed their target. An oncoming coconut creature came stomping his way and with one tough it powered him down to his normal size.

"_That's what you get for leaving us behind,"_ said Mario.

In a child's voice, Luigi replied, _"I knew he was coming, I just didn't-"_

He was cut off by the screaming Yellow Toad as Blue Toad suddenly picked him up and tossed him toward the enemy, making him lose a life.

"_God dammit, Knuckles! Will you STOP doing that?" _came a deep, gruff voice from the Yellow Toad who was now floating in a bubble.

"_No. It's funny."_

Mario broke put into a fit of laughter.

"_What the hell're_ you _laughing at, blue hedgehog?"_

"_He's right; that was hilarious."_

"_Oh, really? Is it that funny? Here, watch this."_

"_Shadow? …Shadow, what're you doing?"_

As Yellow Toad popped back into play, he furiously picked up little Mario and tried to fling him at the still stomping plant enemy. Mario managed to miss getting stomped on, but ended up panicking and this jumped right into the creature's head, losing a life.

"_Aw! Come on!"_

"_Now _that _was funny. Ha, ha."_

Still in the lead, Luigi managed to skip to a grey pipe that would end the first part of the stage. _"Easy guys, we're almost done this board."_

However, Luigi had forgotten that this was not a stage-changing pipe, but rather one that led to a small cave with coins and a power-up box that was flashing random symbols. His team-mates (one of which was his brother locked in a bubble), magically joined him in the room even though he was the only one to officially enter it.

"_Oh, okay, it's just a cave,"_ Luigi corrected himself, still sounding like a child.

"_Oo, oo! Get the star, get the star!"_ shouted Blue Toad, as he noticed one of the flashing symbols as a yellow star.

"_Wait for it, wait for it,"_ muttered Luigi, timing his jump. Then he took the leap of faith and three magical stars came flying out of the power-up box. "Okay you guys, run like crazy!"

As the flashing heroes jumped through the pipe, Yellow Toad touched Mario's bubble, releasing him.

"_Oh, NOW you save me! Thanks!"_

Upon exiting the pipe, the team took a mad dash across the broken road, purposefully jumping into more coconut-headed enemies, and now hopping winged Koopa Troopas over floating logs. Thanks to their star power, they were invincible and able to kill off all oncoming enemies with a single touch. Mario, the only one that was not invincible, lagged behind.

"_Slow down, Tails! You're gonna make us go offscreen."_

Luigi, still in the lead, was gaining momentum. _"Come on, Sonic, keep up."_

"_Ugh… Fat plumber is fat!"_

"'_You're too slooow!'"_

"_Oh, for Chaos sakes!" _cursed Mario, as he off-screened and therefore technically died.

The star power didn't last very long, much to Luigi's demise as he carelessly flung himself at a coconut creature that was stomping around on small platforms just over a floating log. He touched the creature's thorny leg and was powered down to small size. That's when Blue Toad decided to be a jerk again, and threw the green plumber at the enemy.

"_Knuckles! Cut it out!"_

"_Make me, fox boy."_

Luigi tried to save himself by purposely going into his bubble form, but now he was out of the game. Around that time, Yellow Toad accidentally popped Mario's bubble, letting Mario back into play. The red plumber then led the charge with the two toads following close behind.

"_Help, help! Someone pop me! …Pop me, please? Sonic? Pop me?"_

"_Dude, Tails; that sounds so wrong."_

"_Okay, I'm sorry about the 'You're too slow' thing, just pop me already."_

"_Dude, we've just barely gotten away with the Super Sexy Sixty-Nine Spin Attack. I am not gonna let that happen again. You're on your own this time."_

"_That Super Sixty-Nine Attack was_ your_ idea, wasn't it? You sick, sick hedgehog."_

"_Shuddup, Knuckles…"_

Minutes later, Mario managed to cross the checkpoint flag first, an automatically grew to normal size. Just after that came four blocks with question marks on them, hinting that they could contain power-up items. Mario jumped on the top left one, which released one red mushroom and two Fire Flowers.

"_Oo! Oo! I'm gonna get it!" _exclaimed Mario as he seized both flowers and his clothing colors changed from blue and red to red and white. _"Yes! Fire power, bitches."_ Like mad, he started shooting fireballs from his hands at the enemies he approached, thus leading the team over two more poison water pits.

"_Wouldn't it make more sense if there were the guns in this game?" _asked the Yellow Toad.

"_There are none," _replied Blue Toad. _" You don't like it, you can get your own game."_

"_He does have his own game… and it sucks!"_

"_Shut up, Faker."_

"_Wait till we get to the Bob-ombs. They're always fun."_

"_Said the guy who bombed us in Launch Base Zone," _Mario replied darkly.

"_Hee-hee-hee. Good times, man, good times."_

At this point, Luigi was back in play thanks to the lagging Yellow Toad. The four of them were now treading through even wider pits and deeper purple water, with stilled coconut enemies just waiting for them.

"_Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeoncome-oooon!"_cheered a nervous Mario as he gained speed.

"_Move, move, move- AW! I'm out," _declared Luigi, as he mistimed a jump and landed in the water. This was his last life, and so he wouldn't make it to the end of the level.

While still trying to take his time, the Yellow Toad was being pulled forward and straight into a stomping coconut enemy. _"Damn, how did that get me?"_

Mario could see his exit in sight, a green pipe wedged in a steep wall of gravel. But blocking his path was a very short coconut enemy, then as he got near it the creature stretched out its legs. Because he was still in running mode, he missed the chance to burn the creature, and upon contact he was powered down. Even worse, the shock of the hit made him fall straight down into the poisoned water.

"_Sweet Chaos! …Knuckles, it's all up to you."_

"_Okay, you guys. I got this one."_

The Blue Toad made haste after Mario, jumping on the coconut's head at the right time. Then he entered the pipe, and on the other side was the flagpole that marked the end of the stage.

Before the flagpole were two small platforms and very deep water, along with a coconut creature that was stuck on two small blocks in the middle of the air. This was all set up as stepping stones for reaching the top of the flag. But as Mario and Yellow Toad looked on in their bubbled, Blue Toad managed to fly for the flag… only to force himself into his own bubble and thus deliberately stopping the game.

"_Nevermind! HA-hahahahahahahahahaha!"_

.

"KNUCKLES!" screamed Sonic and Tails, while their red friend was rolling in laughter on their living room couch.

"Well," moaned Shadow on the other side of the couch, who dropped his Wii-mote onto the floor, "this was a complete waste of my time."

Sonic, sitting on the floor beside Tails, looked up at the chuckling echidna. "Why? Just…. WHY?"

"This was the third time you've done that," growled Tails furiously.

Catching his breath after laughing so hard, Knuckles wiped a tear from his eyes. "Oh… aw man, that never gets old. Ah… Hahaha... Heh… Eh?" His giggling finally came to a stop when he felt the tip of a gun on his right cheek.

"Do it again," warned the black hedgehog sitting beside him, his finger firmly on the trigger. "Go on, I dare you."

Now sweating, Knuckles smiled nervously. "Heh, heh… Come on, Shadow it's just a game. Don't take it so-" he noticed the gun cock back. "Okay! Let's try this level for real, you guys!"

Sonic and Tails also looked nervous as they prepared their Wii-motes for the level's restart.

The game resumed very quietly, except for one small mutter from Sonic to Tails: "Remind me never to invite Shadow to game night again."

.

**END**


	111. Grab The Blue WHAT?: Sonic and Tails

**FACT: The spheres in the "Sonic 3 and Knuckles" games were originally called "balls."**

_Hmmm… I wonder why that was changed?_

.

"**Grab The Blue WHAT?"  
**

**A Sonic and Tails Drabble**

.

The year was 1993, late fall.

Yuji Naka, creator and designer of the "Sonic The Hedgehog" games, was just about to call it a night and head to bed, after a long day at work mapping out the latest level for his new project, "Sonic The Hedgehog 3."

When suddenly, a furious pounding at his door came rapping: BANG, BANG, BANG. BANG, BANG!

Surprised, the Japanese gentleman let out a small gasp before heading for the door. He opened it, and to his shock and awe, a small blue hedgehog and a smaller, two-tailed fox were standing on the other side. The hedgehog was holding an ice pack between his legs and looking quite furious, while the little fox beside him tucked his hands behind his back shamefully, his cheeks flushed red.

"'Scuse me," said the little blue hedgehog. "Are you Yuji Naka?"

The man nodded, "Hai."

"You're the guy who designed the new Special Stage, right? The one where you're supposed to… uh… What did it say, Tails?" As he asked this Sonic gave his friend a noticeably cold glare.

Tails gulped, "It said, 'Grab the blue balls.'"

"Yee-ah, that's what it said," groaned Sonic as he looked back up at his game designer.

"Is there something wrong?" asked curiously.

Sonic narrowed his eyes at him. "Do me a favor, buddy. When you go back to work tomorrow, change the word to 'spheres' or something. Because _somebody_ might take it the wrong way."

"I don't understand. How could you mistake…" He looked down at Sonic. Then at the embarrassed Tails. Then back to the pained Sonic, and finally understood. "…Oooooh. Okay, blue spheres it is."

"Great. Thanks," replied the hedgehog.

Naka watched as the hedgehog waddled away, his hands firmly gripped on the ice pack, as Tails followed behind. With every step, the little hedgehog winced, "Eh… Ugh… Ack… Ehh…"

Naka scratched his head and thought aloud, "I knew I should have kept the half-pipe."

And with that, he closed the door and headed to bed.

.

**END**


	112. The Other Mother: Knuckles and Tikal

.

"**THE OTHER MOTHER"  
**

**A Knuckles and Tikal Drabble**

_Narrated by Knuckles_

.

I was polishing up the Master Emerald one sunny day, when my buddy Sonic happened to whiz by. Curious, he snuck up behind me when I hadn't yet noticed him, and while he leaned in he heard me mutter these words:

"There you go, good as new ol' girl."

That's when I heard his snicker. Quickly I turned around and greeted him with grit fangs. "Got something on your mind, spiky?"

He replied with a shrug and a giggle, "I was just wondering, how do you know it's a girl?"

I brushed off his naiveté with, "What're you doing here?"

"Just hunting Badniks. You know, the usual."

"Well, have fun. I've got a post to keep."

"Sure thing. Oh, and let the Emerald know I say hi- what's her name, by the way? Shelly? Daisy?"

With one swipe of my clawed glove, he was off in a dash.

Stupid hedgehog. He should have known by now that it was only naturally for me to address the Master Emerald as a female. And besides, I wasn't exactly talking directly to the Emerald itself…

.

I can't remember much of my early life as a young puggle, I can only remember wandering around the island hopelessly lost, calling out to anyone that might have heard me.

Yes, we echidnas are called puggles when we're young.

….Stop laughing!

Anyway, I was deep within the jungle region of Angel Island, when someone's voice finally called back to me.

"_Come closer… Closer…"_ she said in a soft voice.

I tried to follow the voice, though at the time I could waddle better than I could walk. I could sense s strange presence in the air, but at the time I thought it was just the wind. Whatever it was, it led me right to the temple grounds of Marble Garden, the lost city of my ancestors. This was the last place anyone would set foot in, prior to the Great Disaster that claimed most of my kind.

Even then, the place was a dump; what used to be a large city of marble stone was now lying in ruins, leveled to the point that only debris and mud pits stood out from the jungle's overgrowth. But as scared as I was, I pressed on, knowing that someone- or something- was calling to me from afar.

"_You're almost there… Head for the main temple."_

I knew what she meant by that; of all the fallen buildings, one temple remained almost fully intact. It was a pyramid-like structure in the center of a square, which was now almost completely blanketed by moss and vines. Though I was a born climber, I admit that my claws weren't fully developed yet, and I've slipped more than once while scrambling up the stairs. But I was rewarded at last by the awesome sight of her, the Master Emerald, at the very top of the shrine.

I stared at it for what felt like forever, bewitched by its warm green glow. Then I remember squeaking something along the lines of, "Hello? Are you there?"

"_Here I am, little one. Come closer. Don't be afraid."_

It was her, alright. That same sweet voice that guided me through the jungle was now coming straight from the gigantic gem. I approached it slowly.

"Are you my momma?"

I'm almost sure that's what I said… Tell Sonic, and I'll kill you where you stand.

"_I am a friend,"_ she replied.

As I crawled closer to the emerald, I felt a strange sense of relief and comfort. I placed my paw on it as reassurance, not that I really needed it.

"I'm lost."

"_I know… I can guide you, if you listen closely."_

From then on, that same voice would teach me the ways of echidna culture- our language, our culture, and even how to glide and scale walls as though she knew I had it in me all along. She was my guiding star, right up to the time when I would inevitably meet Doctor Eggman and his enemies. As I grew older, I began to notice that she spoke less and less to me, as though she wanted me to figure things out on my own.

Until that one time, when we all heard her voice together.

.

Up to this point, I said nothing to me new friends about "the voice of the emerald," knowing that they would tease me about it, or just call me crazy. Besides, it was something very personal to me- it was my special voice. All of that changed when Chaos- the true spirit of the Master Emerald- broke loose.

Doctor Eggman had been studying the emerald without my knowledge, and somehow he learned of Chaos. Hoping to use it against Sonic, he unleashed it and in turn it shattered the Master emerald into a thousand pieces. I was devastated- not just because of the gem itself, but because I thought I had lost my spiritual guide in the process. So, imagine my relief, when I heard her voice once again.

"_Retrieve the emerald shards. Use your tracking skills."_

So here we were again, me and the spirit, working together to return the Master Emerald to its former glory. Only this time, the spirit opened small windows to her own past, to show me who she really was, and what her place was in this new mystery. At one point, on the Egg Carrier, she told me to move a lever to shift the airship's balance so that I could uncover the final emerald shards. I'm only mentioning this, because I learned later on that Sonic and Tails were on board at the same time, and that I interference with the Egg Carrier caused them both some dizziness. Heh. …I always found that amusing.

When at last the pieces came together, a light appeared before me. Blinded for a moment, I shielded my face, but when I opened my eyes, I was welcomed to the image of the young she-chidna that was with me all along.

Tikal.

While a spirit, she managed to speak to me- to all of us- when we needed her most: _"My heart has always been in the Master Emerald, along with Chaos'. Now he's filled with anger and sadness. And if it goes on, he'll eventually destroy the world, as he did before."_

That was the closest she would ever come to explaining her mortal past. I had a sinking feeling in my gut that her story would have a sad ending…

Anyway, long story short, Chaos had absorbed the power of the Chaos Emeralds, which were quickly retrieved by my friends and I. Then it was up to Sonic- as usual, pfft- to turn Super and reduce Chaos back from a menacing beast to a smaller, calmer entity.

That's when she appeared… for the last time, it seemed.

"_The fighting's over. Harmony is restored, and life goes on,"_ she said to Chaos, and the watery creature seemed to agree. Then she turned to us, her heroes, and smiled. "Thank you so much!"

I wanted so much to reach out and say, "Wait! I have so many more questions!" But I declined, because I didn't want to ruin her one moment of peace before she and Chaos disappeared from sight… back to the Master Emerald, or so I hope.

.

Which is why, to this day, I address her, and only her, when speaking to the Master Emerald. I won't care if Sonic thinks I'm crazy for it- let him think what he wants. As long as Tikal's spirit is in peace, then so am I.

Although, I must admit, I miss her sweet, calming voice, the one that gave me the love and support in my youth that I so desperately needed.

Gingerly, I stroke the emerald's side. "Tikal, if you're still in there, I look forward to talking to you again… In the meantime though, rest well, my friend. …My other mother."

I wouldn't get a verbal response, but I would get a glimmer from the large gem. And that was enough for me.

.

**END**


	113. No Pants? No Problem!: Naked Ladies

.

"**NO PANTS? NO PROBLEM"  
**

**A Drabble for all of the Archie Girls that wear no pants**

_Song: "I Wear No Pants," by the Proxy Boggards_

.

On no particular day, in no particular grassy field, Princess Sally Acorn of the Freedom Fighters felt like marching along and singing this song at the top of her lungs while donning a big proud smile on her face:

"_I wear no pants_

_I wear no pants_

_I weeeaaar noooo paaaants!"_

As she marched along the field, four others came out of nowhere and joined her in the marching song, in this order:

_[Julie-Su] "Perhaps you'd like a chance,"_

_[Barby Koala] "Perhaps you like a chance,"_

_[Hershey the Cat] "Perhaps you'd like a chance,"_

_[Hershey's mother Cocoa] "To stop and take a glance,"_

_[All] "For I weeeaaar noooo paaaants!"_

Sally: "Now Italian!"

As the team made their way onward, four more ladies joined them from different corners. They too were Freedom Fighters, but their home bases were far away, so how they suddenly appeared here was a mystery. Nevertheless, they too joined the marching song:

"_Non porto pantaloni_

_Non porto pantaloni_

_Non porto pantoloni!"_

_[Dulcy the Dragon] "Guardi en mi bologna,"_

_[Penelope the Platypus] "Guardi en mi bologna,"_

_[Erma the Ermine] "Guardi en mi bologna,"_

_[Sealia the Seal] "No ecci macaroni,"_

_[All] "Non porto pantoloni!"_

Sally: "Now German!"

To make the march even more complex, females from alternate stories and even different walks of life came from nowhere and joined in the marching song:

"_Ich trage keine hosen_

_Ich trage keine hosen_

_Ich trage keine hosen!"_

_[Lara-Su] "En sla a gun hun glick,"_

_[Sasha the Cat] "En sla a gun hun glick,"_

_[Nic the Weasel] "En sla a gun hun glick,"_

_[Auto-Fiona] "In meinen hosen prick!"_

_[All] "Ich trage keine hosen!"_

Meanwhile, atop a small hill in the same field, four other ladies were watching this silly display from a safe distance. Amy Rose glanced down at her dress as if to say, "I wear no pants either, so…?" Blaze the Cat and Vanilla the Rabbit shook their heads in disgust at the half-naked march, as if to ask, "Who do they think they are?" Rouge the Bat stared onward both confused and awkward, knowing full well that she too was considered to be "a bit too sexy." But still, being fully clothed, she felt more at home with the on-lookers.

And, to the surprise of the on-looking judges, came this voice.

Sally: "Now, the guys!"

The judging clothed girls turned around, and to their sock and awe, just about EVERY MALE MOBIAN, with Sonic, Tails and Knuckles in the lead, came marching upward and over the hill, purposely displaying their naked bodies to the outraged clothed girls. And to add further insult, they bounced up and down on cue at one particular lyric, causing Vanilla, Amy and Blaze to turn away in horror.

"_I wear no pants!_

_I wear no pants!_

_I wear no pants!_

_Mark well upon my lance_

_Mark well upon my lance_

_Mark well upon my lance,_

_It bounces whilst I dance!_

_For I weeeaaar noooo paaants!"_

The boys then joined the pantless girls in the low field for one big finish:

"_I wear no pants,_

_I wear no pants,_

_**I WEEEEAAAAAR NOOOOO PAAAAAAANTS!"**_

As Amy and company palmed their faces or turned away in shame, Blaze the Cat looked down at her own full-body clothing and sighed, "Great. Now I feel overdressed."

.

**END**

**.**

**NOTE: In case you're confused by some of these characters, allow me to explain their origins in order of their introductions:**

**-Julie-Su, Barby Koala, and Hershey the Cat are all characters introduced early on in the Archie-verse, and are all considered to be current Freedom fighters (though Barby's team lives exclusively in "Downunda," so she is seldom seen).**

**-Cocoa the Cat is Hershey's mother. She had a small part early on in the Archie-verse, but some speculate whether or not she is still alive. She's here for the sole purpose of comedy, as she too wears no pants. Like mother, like daughter.**

**-Dulcy the Dragon had a small part in Sonic SatAM, and sometimes makes cameo appearances in the Archie-verse.**

**-Penelope Platypus is a former Freedom Fighter, now part of the royal council in New Mobotropolis. In her early years, she wore nothing more than a belt.**

**-Erma and Sealia are both members of a Freedom Fighter team in an Antarctic region. They are seldom seen.**

**-Lara-Su is a future daughter of Knuckles and Julie-Su, and plays a key role in the "Mobius X-Years Later" arcs.**

**-Sasha is a young orphan in New Mobotropolis, one of many side characters in that setting. She wears only a green vest.**

**-Nic the Weasel is the Archie-exclusive sister of Nac the Weasel, AKA Fang the Sniper.**

**-Auto-Fiona is a robot version of Fiona Fox (one that only wears boots), seen in a very early issue of the comic. She is presumed "dead," but is back in this fic for comedy's sake.**

**And, big props to all Sonic writers- both official and fan- whose females wear no pants. You all rock.**


	114. Popping Bubbles: Sonic 4 Ep 2, Bubbles

_Props go to Juan "Johnny" Ortiz for bringing up this matter during his own Sonic 4 play-throughs on You Tube._

.

"**POPPING BUBBLES"  
**

**A Bubbles the Badnik Drabble**

_Set in "Sonic 4, Episode 2"_

.

Sylvania Castle Zone was turning out to be a fun place to be in for Sonic and Tails, with its breakable pillars and bouncers that appeared along the river. In fact, going underwater was no longer a place of panic, now that Tails learned the ability to carry Sonic while using his tails as propellers, ala "Submarine mode." Despite that, it was much more fun just to skid on the water's surface anyway. As for the Badniks, they were few and far between, except for the blue Chompers that patrolled the underwater areas. But still, Sonic couldn't help but wonder if he would run into that one constant Badnik he'd been having run-ins with all throughout this adventure… And then at last, it showed up.

Sonic and Tails skid to a halt when approaching a lake's edge- not because of the lake itself, but because hovering over the lake was a row of blue Bubbles, followed by a pink and extra-spiked one at the end of the chain. While Tails looked worried, Sonic almost immediately sighed in severe disappointment.

"Ugh," he groaned, while his eyelids fell halfway in boredom. He addressed the Badniks themselves, saying, "You guys again? Seriously? I… I can't take this anymore."

"But Sonic," Tails began, trying to remind him that these were the enemy.

"No, no, no!" shook the hedgehog's head. "I'm sorry, but I have to say this…" While collecting his thoughts, Sonic gently rubbed his furrowed brow, then looked straight at the first Bubbles in its chain. "Look. You guys- Bubbles, is it? We need to talk, dude. I've already spent four and a half Zones with you guys, and all you do is line up in this staircase-like chain, just waiting for me to use my Homing Attack on you. And you… just… STAND THERE. Sure, your spikes pop up once in a while, but before you even get that chance, I'm already halfway down the line.

"And YOU!" he continued while pointing up at the pink Bubbles. "You think you're an even bigger threat just 'cause you're pink? I mean, geez! Why don't you just put on a little dress and get it over with? Seriously, you're not _that much_ scarier, in fact being pink just makes you even less threatening."

Confused, since this was his first time in this adventure, Tails peeped, "Um, Sonic? I don't think they can understand you."

Sonic tapped his foot. "Well then, that explains why they're so stupid! Look Tails, remember back on Angel Island when these guys would actually move around in the air, and they actually stuck us with their spikes every once in a while?"

"Yeah? It wasn't that long ago."

"Exactly! Which begs the question: What the heck happened?" Sonic then readdressed the Bubbles: "No, seriously,_ what_ happened? Did your mother break down or something? Or did Eggman forget to even give you guys motors? …Look, I'm not gonna waste time anymore- just kill yourselves. …No really, do it. If you guys have a self-destruct mode, then use it. Right now. …I'm seriously not even gonna jump on you, 'cause you're just gonna die anyway if I do. It's all a complete waste of time. You're ALL a complete waste of time. Blow yourselves up. Right now. I dare you."

Sonic and Tails paused to wait, even though they weren't completely sure if the Badniks would obey.

However, throughout Sonic's speech, the Bubbles' eyes moved left and right as though they truly were listening. And while their enemy coaxed them to self-destruct, they actually turned their heads slightly to each other, their eyes dilated like those of a sad puppy dog's. Then, seconds later…

_Pop! Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop._

Sonic and Tails' eyes enlarged in surprise, as the blue and pink Badniks seemed to follow the hedgehog's command, and exploded in a chain of pops and smoke and releasing of Flickies.

"…Wow, I didn't even think that-"

**POP-POP-POP-POP-POP-POP-POP-POP…!**

Sonic would have finished with, "would actually work," when all throughout Sylvania Castle a chorus of self-destructing Bubbles' filled the air, drowning out all other noises. In seconds, the land was completely Bubbles-free; Sonic and Tails were so shocked by this that their ears drooped downward, as though suddenly overcome by grief or guilt.

But then Sonic recovered with a confident smile. "Welp, that clears half the board. Let's go Tails!"

And with that, the two buddies zoomed forward.

.

**END**


	115. Bad Guys Anonymous: Eggman

_If you haven't yet seen this movie's previews on you Tube, then what are you waiting for? DO IT. NOW._

.

"**BAD GUYS ANONYMOUS"  
**

**A Doctor Eggman Drabble**

_Set in Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph"_

.

"I don't want to be the bad guy anymore."

When those words were said by the apishly muscular man-child called Wreck-It Ralph, the whole of Bad Guys Anonymous was in an uproar. King Bowser was coughing up fireballs, Clyde from _"Pac-Man"_ turned blue, and Doctor Eggman nearly rolled out of his chair in shock. They all were gathered in this circle to express their frustrations with their roles as game villains; despite this, they never expected one of them to actually declare that he's had it! They were all appalled.

"What? How could you say that?" gasped most of the villains, while Ralph kept a steady seat in his chair.

"Oh, come on!" Ralph declared. "Don't tell me you guys never once got tired of doing the same old thing, over and over again. I mean, what's the point of playing a game if you can never win?"

The giant King of Koopas let out a mighty roar.

"Bowser is right," nodded Eggman, sitting next to the Zangief of the _"Street Fighter"_ series. "The point is not about winning the game- although truthfully we've all felt that way, I'm sure- but really, it's not about that. The bottom line is that without villains like us, there would BE no game!"

"Yes, yes exactly," nodded most of the other villains in the circle.

Eggman went on to say, "So it really doesn't matter what you do, as long as you're really good at it, whether it's tearing down a large building, or kidnapping a princess, or trying to destroy a blue hedgehog. Because at the end of the day-"

"Woah, woah, woah, woah. Hold it," Ralph interrupted the round mad scientist. "You're saying you get beat every day… by a hedgehog?"

The room fell silent as all eyes fell on Eggman, who was suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, "Ahem! …Well… Y-you don't understand. He's very, ridiculously fast! Half of the battle is trying to keep up with him!"

"_Pffff!_ HA-HAHAHAHA!" laughed the giant wrestler Zangief next to him. "A hedgehog? Really? Hahahaha… Blue! HA-hahahahaha! Dat iz a first for me! Hoo-hoo-hoo!" Then he curled up his legs, pretending to be a scared woman; "Oh, no! I think I heard a bunny rabbit down the hall! I musn't let it get me!"

Just about the entire circle burst into laughter; Bowser laughed as well, but his laughter sounded more like small spurts of roars instead.

"It's not like that," Eggman retorted defensively. But it was no use; their laughter could not be contained. He even tried to back himself up with, "He's got really sharp spikes, and he only gets stronger with magic emeralds!"

"Wow! A hedgehog _and_ pretty jewelry!" laughed Zangief. "You must really hate QVC."

The room's laughter became even louder, even as Wreck-It Ralph giggled, "Wow, and I thought I had it bad."

"Ugh, grrr…." Doctor Eggman spent the last hour of the session slouched in his chair, his arms crossed and his mouth profoundly frowning. Even among his fellow villains, he was defeated.

.

**END**

**Disney's _"Wreck-It Ralph,"_ in theatres November 2012.**


	116. Payback Time, Part 1: Payback Fox

_This is inspired by a scrapped sub-plot during the _"Silver Saga"_ Arc, which hints that Payback Fox and Dark Enerjak were an item one time._

.

"**PAYBACK TIME"  
**

**A Payback Fox Drabble**

_Set in Sonic Universe's "Dark Mobius,"_

_Prior to the "Silver Saga"_

**Part 1**

.

Call me crazy, but I've always had a thing for the bad boys. And in my world, nobody was "badder" than Dark Enerjak.

I was born in a world that was already on the verge of destruction; my kind had lost the Great War, we were easily overtaken by Robotnik, and one by one the Chaos Emeralds were lost to us, possibly forever. …And that was before things_ really_ went bad. But I can tell you exactly when things got worse, because I was there. I saw him, the one whom we used to call Knuckles, when he decided to use up the last of the Master Emerald's power, to become the most powerful being in the universe: (Dark) Enerjak.

I have to admit, things weren't all that bad at the start; because of Enerjak, Robotnik was overthrown and our people were reverted back to flesh and blood- Robotization was a thing of the past. And Enerjak was the one who single-handedly rebuilt lost cities like Mobitropolis and Mercia, just to name a few. I remember when we were all happy and glad to be alive… few as those days may have been. But I guess all good things must come to an end, don't they?

Perhaps it was because he underestimated his chaos powers, or because he sensed the weakness in our hearts. For whatever reason, Enerjak would soon crown himself as ruler of all Mobius, and resistance to his absolute power was not an option. When Sonic the Hedgehog and his closest friends stormed his tower to confront him, they never returned. We would find out later that they had joined Robotnik on Enerjak's trophy wall. And how did we know this? Because one of Sonic's friends- Shadow- was slick enough to teleport himself out of there before he could be recaptured. He only managed to give us the details in these brief words: "Enerjak's got them on the wall," before the echidna himself appeared before us, seized Shadow by his neck, and they both vanished. That was the last we had ever seen of Shadow.

I suppose we all should have seen this coming; we were all so relieved to have a savior in our lives after one generation of war and destruction after another, we were willing to believe that this one echidna was all that we needed for a time of peace at last. I guess you could say… we were weak. Weak-minded, weak-spirited, all that good stuff. We're all just weak, pathetic little creatures, and Enerjak knows it.

So, you'll forgive me if I craved a little bit of his power.

.

By the time I entered the picture, Enerjak had already "tired" of his once beloved Julie-Su, and had her escorted by the prelates of Sonic and Tails to the dungeon, never to be seen again. I waited until he started to show signs of boredom while surveying the land from his fortress, when I started to creep through the shadows.

"Miss Fox," he mused while not bothering to look away from his window. Rather than sounding alarmed, he was surprisingly calm; "I'm almost insulted that you would try to perform a sneak-attack, especially when you know that I have ESP."

Coyly I stepped out of the shadows and smiled, "Me? Sneak up on you? That sounds more like a coward's approach, my liege."

Then he did turn to face me. His golden mask hid his face, disallowing me to guess his emotions… or if he even had any. But I could see the red in his eyes, which were once a calming purplish-blue. While gazing into them, they seemed to paralyze me.

"Are you saying you don't fear me?" he asked, hiding a grin.

"I'm… I'm saying I admire you, O great Enerjak, conqueror of kingdoms and overlord of all Mobius." I tried to curtsy, but my legs were a bit wobbly as I was overwhelmed by his presence.

He let out a small chuckle as he literally floated toward me. "I see… It's been a while since someone finally showed some respect for me after everything I've done for these poor little peasants."

"Your grace," I kept praising him, "I would be most honored to help you round up those filthy little rebels that've started up that silly little rally against you."

His feet hit the floor, causing a small quake. "Be careful, Miss Fox," he warned me darkly. "One of those 'filthy little rebels' is my own flesh and blood."

"But she hates you, sire. She doesn't deserve you after she turned her back on you."

His right paw slammed into the wall that my back was now pressed up against, which sent chills down my spine.

"Tell me, Miss Fox. Do you have any family?"

"No, sir. None that I can recall, except for a few that abandoned me as a child."

"So you were abandoned… Would you willingly take their lives if given the chance?" As he asked me this, I can hear his knuckles scraping down the wall, making the wall itself give out a shriek.

Visibly shaken as I was, I pressed on to say, "Sire, if you wanted me to- if it was by your command- I would exterminate them all."

"Cold. Vengeful. Bloodthirsty…" **WHAM!** His golden fist plowed straight through the already battered wall. Then he showed me a smile. "I like it."

He pulled himself away, and with arms raised he boasted, "I've waited so long for a fellow Mobian to come forward and show the same ambitions as I do! Julie was a good girl, but she also had a soft spot for the weaklings out there. I need someone who is on my level of strength. And if I'm right about you, dear Miss Fox, I believe you could be that person."

Both relieved and overjoyed, I fell to my knees. "Master Enerjak, I pledge my life to you, always!"

He turned to me, his shadow covering me up like a blanket. "Prove yourself first, Miss Fox. Go, and seek out the rebels one by one. Use your cunning and skills as a hunter. Bring them all to me, alive."

"Yes, Master."

.

And so, I became his second in command. For the next few months I was his attack dog, hunting in the shadows while the villagers began to fear my name. They knew I was out there- "the fox in the night", some would call me. And I relished in it. I loved being feared.

I did exactly what he wanted me to do: I captured many of his former friends. Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, Charmy Bee and his mate Saffron. Tricky as they were to catch and overpower, I went on to capture even trickier prey: Rouge the Bat, Amy Rose, and even Dulcy the Dragon. They were all my trophies! And each time I brought them in, Enerjak would reward me with riches and praise.

But it was when I came home with a relative of his- Lien-Da- that things changed between us. I threw her at his feet as he sat on his golden throne, her hands and legs bound by a black chord.

I set my boot on her back and declared, "Here is your precious sister-in-law, sire. She abandoned you years ago to fight her own wars, not once showing any sign of allegiance to you. Tell me, my master, what should I do with her?"

He stared down at his sister-in-law and saw how broken she was- both in body and in spirit. There was a brief moment of silence as he paused to think it through, but for me it felt like a lifetime. Though I would not dare interrupt his thinking process; that would have been asking for trouble.

Finally, he told me, "Set her up on The Wall."

I gave him my usual wicked smile, and dragged the former Queen of the Legion to her death sentence.

Enerjak followed after me as I entered the infamous Hall of the Fallen, where the corpses of his enemies were strapped to the walls as trophies. Then, as I chained up Lien-Da, I stepped back only to bump into my master.

As I turned around, he looked down at me with a smile. "Let me show you my work."

I was stunned; normally I was forced to leave and forbidden to see his rituals, but now he gave me permission! This was exhilarating! While I tried very heard to conceal my excitement, I watched as Enerjak held out his hand to Lien-Da, which started to glow. In seconds, as she struggled and let out a scream, all at once her body started to glow a bright orange, and that light formed into a small ball, cupped by my master's hand. Then the lady took a final breath, and froze in place. Dead.

Enerjak then presented me with the orange orb. "Do you know what this is?" he asked me.

With a frown, I shook my head.

"This is all that is left of my former sister-in-law. Her life force is mine, and mine to command. Observe." He then threw the orb down onto the floor, and like liquid it rose up and took the form of a Prelate silhouette of Lien-Da.

He then explained, "She is my servant now; she comes to me when called, and does as I say without question. Soon, I will have an entire army of these Prelates, and with them I will rule supreme…" He then waved his arm, silently commanding Lien-Da's life force to jump back into his hand in ball form, then he absorbed it like a sponge to water.

He then looked to me, those blood-red eyes gleaming. "Do you fear the same fate, my dear Miss Fox?"

I took a breath before replying, "Master… If it is what you wish of me, I would gladly become your immortal servant."

He then let out a small chuckle. "I have showed you this," he explained, "because I know now that there is no need for me to turn you into a Prelate. You are already a worthy warrior… and I would have you by my side always… my dear Fiona."

My name. He… He called me by name. My heart skipped a beat, and I could tell that he felt it. "Master…"

"Call me Enerjak."

"Enerjak… I…" I threw myself at him without even thinking about it. As he caught me, I felt his bulky arms wrap around my feeble little body in a full embrace.

Breathlessly, I swooned. "I'm all yours."

His teeth smiled behind his mask. "I know."

We kissed quite passionately among the fallen heroes, though the eeriness of the scene didn't seem to bother me nor my new mate at all. What mattered was that we had finally come full circle, from student and master to life-long mates. For once in my life, I was truly happy and at peace.

….Oh, right. I almost forgot. Peace doesn't last long in this world.

.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	117. Payback Time, Part 2: Payback Fox

_You may have noticed that I had taken some liberties to this story, but since it's based on a scrapped sub-plot, I figured no harm, no foul. Still, I hope you can excuse my handling of this story for not being completely accurate to the actual _"Silver Saga."_ This is Payback's spotlight, after all._

_To find out the whole (true) story behind Dark Enerjak, go to the sonic wiki site (Mobius Encyclopedia) and look him up. It's a fascinating read._

.

"**PAYBACK TIME"  
**

**A Payback Fox Drabble**

_Set in Sonic Universe's "Dark Mobius,"_

_Prior to the "Silver Saga"_

**Part 2**

.

I used to have a thing for the bad boys… But I guess a girl's gotta grow up at some point.

Here I was in my late thirties…. Okay, early forties… watching my new boyfriend, the unstoppable Enerjak, lifting Angel Island from the sea with his power, as we watched from the beach of Central City. You see, after he had fully absorbed the Master Emerald in his youth, the island lost the ability to float; but now that he had that power at his fingertips, he decided to lift the island out from the depths because as he would say, "I was getting bored with looking at it from the ocean."

…Alright, alright, I'm fifty-one. Happy now?

Anyway, this was the high point of my career as Enerjak's second in command. Truthfully, I wasn't completely proud of myself for having hunted and captured many innocent lives; but really, who could blame me since I was looking out for my own life? After all, when you live in a world ruled by a megalomaniac demi-god, it's best to stay on his good side isn't it?

"Isn't it beautiful, my dear?" he purred as we stood atop his tower looking up at the floating island in the distance. "This was the home of my ancestors, long before the Dark Legion's reign. It will serve as my base of operations- primarily the city of Nekronopolis."

I smiled as I grasped his arm. "It is a beautiful sight, darling. Oh, and once we enter Nekronopolis, I have a surprise for you. You're going to love it."

"Hmm… We shall see," he grinned.

I led him to the town square where a massive sculpture was being covered by a grand red blanket, held up by Prelates with flying capabilities (Tails, Charmy and Saffron, to name a few). On my command, they released the cover to reveal a statue of Enerjak holding what could have been either a core or the world (depending on one's interpretation) in his left paw, a likeness of Angel Island in his right.

"What do you think, my love?" I purred as Enerjak looked onward at his gigantic likeness. "When I heard you were going to restore this island, I took the liberty to put some of our…_ your_ Prelates to work on this project. Do you like it?"

He paused before responding with, "Hmm… It's a fitting addition to my empire." I noticed that there was no sign of emotion in his tone; he seemed distant in that moment. I should have seen it as a sign, but then he quickly shrugged it off and turned to walk away. "I have business elsewhere," he declared suddenly.

Running after him, I asked, "Where to next, sire? Do we take on the Freedom Fighters now? Would you like me to find their location?"

"No need, my dear. I already know where they are. As we speak, my mind's eye is on them."

I gasped, "Wait…! You know where they are? …Then hurry, we can take them all down right now!"

He stopped and turned to me with a stern glare in his red eyes. "There time will come, but not right now. And as for you, my dear Fiona, you will lead the Prelates on patrol."

"My love, I don't understand. Why-"

"Just. Do as I say."

I clasped my arm. "…Yes, sire. As you wish."

I watched him march off to who knows where, as I was left to babysit the Prelates. I didn't know it at the time, but this was the beginning of my end.

.

As the days past, I realized that he was becoming more and more distant from me, as though I had offended him somehow. Eager to see him again, I rushed to the main tower to confront him, and found him in his throne room holding what appeared to be a glass orb- a Prelate's core, perhaps? Curiously, I approached.

Sensing my presence, he responded without so much as flinching: "It has come to my attention that chaos energy still exists in this world. I am using the power of m mind's eye to locate it."

I sighed with relief. "Darling, you could have just told me what was troubling you. I can dig up that energy, no problem."

"If my daughter finds it first, she will try to use it against me. Nothing must stand in my way of total victory."

"I understand completely, Lord Enerjak. Allow me to lead a troop of Prelates to hunt her down and-"

"No!" As his voice boomed, he let off a gust of wind from his cape, nearly knocking me off my feet. He then said softly, "She is not to be touched."

"Sire," I frowned, "she has clearly betrayed you, just as Julie-Su and Lien-Da betrayed you in the past. She should meet the same punishment as they have… Don't you agree?"

"There is… so much potential in her, Fiona… She could be my successor one day."

"But she's chosen to be your destroyer. Believe me, I know, I've been spying on her lately. I know where she and her friends are hiding. Please, Enerjak, I beg you to let me finish them off before they gain the upper-hand!"

"Your concern for me is touching, my dear, but I have my own plans for young Lara-Su."

"She goes by Jani-Ca now."

"Lara, Jani, she's my child either way…." He floated toward me until we were eye to cold red eye. "And, she is not to be touched. Understood?"

"Yes, of course darling… but at least let me hunt down this chaos energy for you. I want to prove that I'm still useful to you."

He stepped back and nodded, "Indeed, you are useful… Keep spying on them until you have the location of this chaos energy. Then report back here, immediately."

"Sire," I bowed, and took off in a flash.

.

Though my tracking skills were as keen as ever, I was starting to show my age in the running department. It didn't take long for young Jani-Ca and her friends to find me out while they were searching the Great Forest, accompanied by the pocket computer NICOLE. It was her that alerted the team to me, and as I was jumping from tree to tree, I was pursued by small daggers and bombs flung by Jani-Ca's troops. My escape was a bit sloppy, but I escaped nonetheless.

But just as I reached the edge of the forest, I was stopped by a small troop of Prelates. They were what remained of the former Chaotix team: Vector, Mighty, Ray, Espio, and Charmy- the very team I had helped in capturing for Enerjak.

"Out of my way, you grunts!" I growled at them. "I have important news for your master!"

"Indeed you do," cam a familiar voice. I looked up, and there he was- my beloved Enerjak, floating in the air like a dark angel. "Go on, Fiona, tell me what you know."

I paused to catch my breath before I could say, "I know what's causing the chaos energy: it's the Sword of Light, my love! Jani-Ca is on her way to its location, through the Great Forest. I have the map memorized; I can lead you to it!"

"….So you can," he mused.

Something was wrong, I could feel it. He wasn't looking happy or sad, or even angry He was just… still, like a mantis before attacking a fly. He was up to something.

"M… My love?" I gulped.

"Fiona, you have served me well. I have never had a more loyal or loving woman by my side." As he said this, his Prelate grunts were coming toward me as though readying themselves for a battle. "However," he added, "I'm afraid that I have gotten quite bored with you, my dear. Please don't take it personally."

"Wh—what?" I gasped in shock.

"You must understand, dear, I am a god. And gods do tend to get bored easily from time to time. Fun as it was to see you hunting my enemies, I've realized that I was watching the same techniques over and over again- it was like watching re-runs of a once favorite show, and I'm now ready to change the channel."

I fell to my knees. "But I served you… I… I love you!"

"As did I… Which is why I'm not going to extract your core; instead, I'm going to give you a fighting chance. Literally. If you can fend off these 'grunts' of mine, then you may go free. And if not, I'll just have to depose of you myself. Again, don't take it personal. It's just what I do."

All I can think of while the Prelates rushed me was the crushing ache in my heart. I barely struggled in the melee, I just wanted it to be over with.

I wanted to die.

.

…Only I didn't die, despite being pummeled by five Prelates who had burned my paws to a crisp with their laser eyes. I awoke that morning in a dumpster deep in the heart of Mobitropolis, a final insult to my defeat. And just as I was gaining consciousness, I found myself lying on my back, staring into her soft, purple, bespectacled eyes.

She just blinked and said, "Wow, I knew he was gonna dump you sooner or later, but not litera-"

"Save it," I hissed as I tried to lean up. The pains in my sides caused me to fall back, cringing.

She lifted her head and called out, "Dagger! Blockbuster! Over here, quick!"

Knowing that the walrus and polar bear were coming, I clutched onto my side. "Not brave enough to finish me off yourself, Jani-Ca? Go on, do it. Make your mother proud."

The young she-chidna shot me a glare, as if to tell me to shut up.

"Fine then," I sighed. "Let your brutes take care of it, what do I care? I'm dead one way or another."

"Too many people have died already," she replied softly, almost in a whisper. Again she looked to me, but this time with softer eyes. "…Killing you would make us no better than _him_."

Heavy footsteps approached, and I soon found myself looking up at two bulky characters, Dagger Walrus and Blockbuster Polar Bear (formerly Rotor and Bark). They reached down and scooped me up by my legs and arms.

"Careful, boys. She's vulnerable," Jani-Ca commanded.

Blockbuster then cradled me in his arms, and that's when I noticed that his whole torso was metallic. Startled, I gasped; "How? What in the…?"

"Do you like it?" asked Jani-Ca with a sly smile. "It's called 'localized roboticization.' It was the Architect's idea- he rebuilt the Roboticizer, only now we can target which parts of our bodies we want roboticized… And if you don't mind me saying so, you look like you could use a hand. Make that two of them."

Clearly, I was in no mood for her humor, but still I was at her mercy. "Do what you will to me. Whatever I get, I deserve."

Jani-Ca looked to her friends with a nod, as if they had already decided my fate.

.

**TO BE CONCLUDED…**


	118. Payback Time, Part 3: Payback Fox

.

"**PAYBACK TIME"  
**

**A Payback Fox Drabble**

_Set in Sonic Universe's "Dark Mobius,"_

_Prior to the "Silver Saga"_

**Part 3**

.

My name is… was… Fiona Fox.

I had spent the last fifty years running and hiding as a way of survival. Some would call it cowardice; I prefer to call it wisdom. However, in my later years I had come to realize that my days of running and hiding would be at an end, and that my come-uppin's would catch up sooner or later. Well, they finally did, when that arrogant echidna named Enerjak dumped me- literally- and left me to die. His daughter should have done the same thing; after all, it was partially because of me that she had lost half of her team of Freedom Fighters. So imagine my surprise when she decided not only to let me live, but to introduce me to someone she referred to as, "The Architect."

The Architect, as it turned out, was none other than Sir Charles Hedgehog, the last remaining member of his once great family. He was hiding out in the ruins of Robotnik's old lair, accompanied by a larger, more sophisticated computer for NICOLE to house herself in. He had spent the last several years rebuilding his own machines in the feeble hope of them countering Enerjak's magic.

Jani-Ca led me to his lair, where the rest of her team was waiting. Her second in command, Constable Remington, was least excited to see me- he knew of m treachery in the past and was the most vocal about my not deserving to be there. The others were less responsive; you know Dagger and Blockbuster, formerly Rotor and Bark; but let me introduce you to the others.

Bark's long-time companion, Bean, was present and fully grown, only now he went by the name Demo (short for Demolition), and wore an eye-patch due to a past injury. His new girlfriend, Bunnie Rabbot, now adopted her mother's name Scarlette; and although she was no de-roboticized, the Architect gave her large gauntlets that would shoot lasers. Her ex-boyfriend, Antoine D'Coolette, was now scarred and bandaged from countless battles, and renamed "Cutlass Depardieu," after his weapon of choice and a distant relative. Big the Cat, renamed Angler, was as big and heavy as ever, only now his right arm was re-roboticized in the form of a retractable harpoon- a fitting weapon for a champion fisherman. And lastly, the youngest member of the group, Cream the Rabbit who now went by "Creme Brulee," in honor of her Chao friend Cheese who along with all the other Chao were destroyed by Enerjak. She wore a Lolita-esque sky blue maid's dress, perhaps an attempt to recapture her lost youth.

Even after seeing this gruff, armored and slightly advanced Freedom Fighters, I remained unimpressed. "You're all doomed, you know," I gloated as Blockbuster sat me down in a comfortable chair. "He already knows you're after the sword. And when he finds it, you'll all wish you never defied him."

The old hedgehog approached me; it was then I realized that the entire left side of his body was roboticized, while his right half was flesh and blood. Apparently, he tested his new roboticizer on himself first to test it out, with interesting results.

"Alright now, settle down young lady," he said with a voice partially vibrating. Gently he reached out to observe my burned hands. "Let me assess the damage… Hmm… Yes, these will have to change."

"Even if this helps me, how will any of this stop the might of Enerjak?"

Jani-Ca, standing by, replied cooly, "Even if we fail in our fight, we'll at least die knowing we did something about him."

"You're insane."

"You only think that because you've already given up hope. But as long as there's at least one of us still standing, there's always hope."

I rolled my eyes in disbelief. "…Just get on with it."

The Architect had me hold out my arms over a table, where his machine could target them without harm to my furry upper-arms. Then he gave the okay to NICOLE, who piloted the machine. At first I felt pain, probably still from the burns… but soon after, I felt nothing. I looked down, and there they were, my new metallic arms.

"I can also upgrade them with their own inner weaponry if you like," smiled the half-robot hedgehog.

I shrugged, still doubtful of these fools and their hopes. I said nothing as the mechanic went to work on my arms, slicing them open, re-wiring their innards, and polishing them up with a new coat which had a function I would not immediately understand.

After the old man had finished, he let me rest on a couch in his living room, where I hoped to catch at least one good night's sleep. As I struggled to get comfortable, I could hear the young Guardian arguing with the Constable in the other room. I tried to ignore it, but after a while their words fell on deaf ears.

Then, minutes later, I heard Jani-Ca talking to me as I closed my eyes: "Tomorrow, we head for Mercia. NICOLE's got a reading on something there that might give us a clue on where to find the Sword of Light. Are you in?"

"You're on the losing side, Jani-Ca."

"I'll ask you one more time: Are you in?"

I opened my eyes and stared into hers. "I'm only alive because _he_ went easy on me."

"I'm giving you a chance to return the favor, Fiona. …So. Are you in?"

I muttered something to her as I was drifting to sleep…

.

Mercia: a once lush and green kingdom, now marred by Enerjak's fires.

That morning, Jani-Ca led the small troop through the grey, dying woods to the castle that used to be home of King Rob O' The Hedge, now a fellow fallen hero at the hands of the world's evil god. Even now, when she knew her father's eye was on her, she went forward through mud and thick brush, until at last the castle came into view. Her guide, NICOLE in pocket form, mapped the way.

Snottingham Castle was broken apart and blanketed by moss and vines, and that was just its outer appearance. Inside it looked like a garden surrounded by stone, with only a few towers left standing.

"Spread out," commanded Jani-Ca. "If you spot anything unusual, alert by the communicators The Architect gave us."

Dagger and Cutless took to the west wing, Big and Cream the south wall, Demo and Scarlette the east wing, and the Constable and Blockbuster charged straight ahead for the grand hall, leaving Jani-Ca alone. …Or so it seemed.

She stood there by the castle's unhinged doorway, as though she were waiting for something. Actually, she was waiting for someone. And sure enough, he arrived.

"Well, well, well," smiled Enerjak as he floated through the air and made his way through the doorway. "Is this a grand tour of the old castle, my dear girl?"

She didn't bother to glance his way. "Just feeling a bit nostalgic, is all."

He landed right behind her, and even then she didn't budge. "This is all so exciting, don't you think? We're both so close to finding the next clue that would put us closer to the legendary Sword of Light- a sword the Acorn family would bless as their own, had I not interfered."

"You always did like to spoil everyone else's fun."

He snaked around to see her face to face, and still she was emotionless. He grinned, "I have to give you a lot of credit, child; even now as I stare you down, you don't so much as flinch. I wonder; where do you get such courage from- your mother, or me?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Can we just cut to the chase now?"

"Oh yes, of course," he giggled as he rubbed his gloves together. "But first, I just thought you should know one thing: I've brought a few old friends along. Do you mind if they play, too?"

As if on command, six Prelates came jumping over the open walls while four more barreled through the doorway. Jani-Ca paused to see them all as former friends of hers: The six Chaotix of course, with the addition of Prelates S (Sonic), T (Tails), Sa (Sally), and Sh (Shadow).

"Right then," said Enerjak with a raised index finger. "The chase begins… now!"

Jani-Ca ran down the hall with all ten Prelates in hot pursuit, while she screamed into her communicator, "Alert! Alert! Prelates are here- ten Prelates! Get ready to fight!"

Freedom Fighters came from all corners to aid their leader who was now completely surrounded by the Prelates in the dining hall. Enerjak floated in and sat at the king's side of the table to gleefully watch the battle ensue.

And indeed, it was a good battle; Scarlette, Remington and Demo proved to be good shots with their bombs and lasers, while Dagger, Big had Blockbuster brought raw power to the playing field. Creme Brulee was an ace flyer, dodging lasers from her former allies and swopped around the chandeliers until Prelates C (Charmy), R (Ray) and Sf (Saffron) collided with each other.

Enerjak clapped at this. "Now this is entertaining. Alas, Lara, you're still outnumbered by one."

Jani-Ca jumped onto the table, looking down on him defiantly. "Actually, 'Dad,' I brought one more member to the party. You might remember her…" And as she jumped off the table, Enerjak caught sight of a figure standing on the opposite side from where he sat.

He glared at the newcomer with his red eyes glowing. "What is this?"

I aimed my glowing fist at his face. "This… is Payback."

**ZAP!**

Before my big entrance, I took advantage of my new gauntlets in the main hall, allowing one or two Prelates to shoot at me. By blocking my face with my hands, the gauntlets were actually absorbing that power. And I was waiting for just the right moment to release that power. So there I was, zapping my former lover in the face with his own magic.

As he fell back in his chair, he had temporarily lost control of his Prelates. "Now!" screamed Jani-Ca, as all of the Freedom Fighters- myself included- laid to waste our adversaries until they were reduced back to glowing balls of light.

Enerjak then rose to his feet, laughing madly. "Now THIS is more like it," he gloated as he raised a paw to call back his spirit cores. "Fiona, my dear, I am now truly impressed!"

"Just wait," I warned him, "I'm just getting warmed up."

As I charged across the dinner table, he flung out his spirit cores so that they could restart as Prelates. "On to Round 2," he exclaimed.

My new metallic fists clashed with his golden knuckles, and at that moment I could feel the rush- the adrenalin- that went missing from me for so long. I felt alive again. But as expected, he brushed me off and took to the air.

While the rest of us were distracted, Enerjak summoned up a teal core and whispered to it: "You know where there precious treasure is, don't you? You should, because you yourself hid it in this castle... Seek it out for me."

When he threw the core to the floor, it manifested into Prelate RoH (Rob O'The Hedge), and it took off in a mad dash through the doorway leading to the kitchens.

Creme Brulee noticed him and exclaimed, "I'll get him!" and swooped through the sky after the teal Prelate.

While our stronger fighters finally pummeled the other Prelates back to their core forms, Enerjak summoned up some more, including Prelates D (Dulcy), F (Fang) and LD (Lien-Da), who seemed particularly interested in taking me out. All the while, the demi-god watched in the air, watching and waiting.

Then at last, Creme Brulee came flying back into the room holding what appeared to be a puzzle box. "I've got it!" she cheered, "I've got the bo-"

**"RBTG!"** zapped Prelate RoH, who had shot a laser arrow at her from behind. We all gasped in horror as Creme fell silently to the floor, with the box stumbling out of her paws.

"Creme," mourned Angler the Cat, who tried to reach out to her but was stopped by Enerjak.

"Oh, don't worry Big guy," smiled the demi-god as his hand fell over the rabbit. "She'll soon be in a better place..." In a flash of orange light, her soul was extracted from her body and placed in Enerjak's claws, as a bright orange core.

While the rest of us stood in horror, Angler's eyes narrowed in rage, perhaps for the first time ever, and he raised his harpoon hand at Enerjak's face. "Enerjak... You're a bad, bad man."

He fired the harpoon, which amazingly managed to pierce Enerjak's right eye. The demi-god staggered and palmed his face, giving the rest of us time to make a move. Jani-Ca grabbed the puzzle box from the floor and screamed, "RETREAT!" And with that, we all headed for the front door like there was no tomorrow.

Enerjak soon recovered, having magically changed the form of his right rye with a robotic red one and with red markings on the right side of his mask to symbolize blood. He then gave a silent command to his remaining Prelates to chase us through the woods and into the night, until we could run no more. And when we did at last stop running, the Prelates disappeared. It was _his_ way of saying, "Good show."

.

She and I stood atop Snottingham Castle that morning, on the one tower left standing after the castle's debacle, as the sun rose over the horizon. We could see mountains in the distance; they were turning green again after years of decimating fires. Then I looked over at her, and saw a deep emptiness in her eyes, as though she were lost in thought. There was silence between us, no sound except for a soft and chilly wind on our faces. Just the two of us, the echidna girl and I.

"I'm sorry about Creme," I muttered.

She muttered back, "We'll get her back... We'll get them all back. Someday."

"…You really didn't have to save me back there… in that dumpster, I mean."

"Yes I did. We need all the help we can get."

"Even after the way I've treated you and your friends?"

"…Are you sorry for that, Fiona?"

I paused, lost in my own thoughts as I turned away in shame. Finally, I said, "That name doesn't quite suit me anymore… I go by Payback now."

Jani-Ca turned to me with a small, almost warm smile. "Payback. I like it."

"Because I intend on giving some of my own payback to _him_."

"…And because you're a bitch."

We paused, then we laughed. We laughed for a good half of a minute. Then I sighed, "To answer your question earlier, yes. I am sorry for my past doings- I was only concerned for my own survival... I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"Hey, that's all in the past now. We've got a future to look after now."

I gave her a nod. "You can count on me from here on in, Lara… I mean, Jani-Ca."

"For the future," she mused as she extended her fist in a sign of allegiance.

I tapped her fuzzy fist with mine in metal. "For the future."

The day was lost, in that we failed to find the next clue on our journey to find the magical sword. But at least one thing was gained: a new ally. And not just any ally; one who knew Enerjak, how he thought, what his motives were, and how it was that he was able to find us so easily. We now had a chance to rethink our strategies, plan new forms of attack, and for me at least, a chance to redeem myself as both a warrior and a survivor.

Yesterday, I died. Today, I was reborn.

I am Payback Fox.

.

**END**


	119. Righting A Past Wrong: Knuckles, SatAM

_I've wanted to do a Drabble on this particular episode of Sonic SatAM for some time now, and in doing my research (aka, watched it on YouTube), I've come to a very stunning discovery:_

_When guessing the riddle of the Time Stones by the not-Knuckles-guardian, Sonic's first guess was, "A dog disguised as an owl," which leads me to believe that Knuckles was intended for this episode after all (and mistaken for a dog, possibly for comedic purposes), but got scrapped for time. …Ironic, yes?_

_Here's my retelling of the episode, in honor of those of us who got cheated out of seeing Knux for the first time as a fully animated character. Some of the original dialogue has been changed, but most is intact. Enjoy._

.

"**RIGHTING A PAST WRONG"  
**

**A Knuckles Drabble**

_Set in the "Sonic SatAM," Episode "Blast to the Past (Part 1)"_

.

For hours now, Dulcy had been carrying Sonic and Sally through the air and into a thick sea of misty clouds. They wouldn't have minded it so much, had they felt more comfortable about where they were going.

"I'm not sure, you guys, but I think we're flying in circles," frowned Princess Sally.

"How can you tell, Sal? This cloud's thicker than chili on a dog," commented the blue hedgehog.

"Trust me you guys," smiled the green juvenile dragoness. "I distinctly remember bumping into the Floating Island, and it was right around here."

Sonic then muttered to his squirrely friend, "Maybe she hit her head and saw the island in a dream."

Though Sally was just as skeptical as Sonic, she replied with, "I really don't want to think about crashing into anything right now…"

More minutes passed, and already Sonic was growing impatient. "What do you think, Dulce?" asked the hopeful hedgehog.

"We're almost there, I can feel it!" smiled the young dragoness.

"You've said that twenty times today," teased the skeptical squirrel.

With her keen vision, Dulcy spotted a break in the thundering clouds up ahead. "There it is, I saw it!"

"You've said_ that_ twenty-times, too."

"So sue me, now it's twenty-one… Going down!" warned the dragoness, as she suddenly took a bold nose dive straight down.

"How can you see anything?" Sally finally asked while free-falling.

"Cause I got radar eyes," smiled the dragoness, right before she slammed into a tall palm tree, _WHAM!_

"Now we're_ really_ going down!" screamed a panicked hedgehog.

Sonic and Sally held onto her tank top for dear life, screaming and howling in fear. But almost as quickly as the drop started, it stopped; Dulcy made a soft belly-flop onto a patch of dirt.

While thankful to still be alive, Sonic managed to sarcastically say, "Aw yeah, nice landing Dulse."

Dizzied from the fall, Dulcy smiled, "Thanks, Ma."

Sonic paused to check out the surroundings, but was disappointed to see that a heavy mist was still present, blocking out most of the land's features. "So, whaddya think, Sal?"

Still skeptical, Sally frowned, "I think we're back on the ground; this is no Floating Island."

"Oh, yeah?" Dulcy inhaled enough air in her lunge to make her chest blow up like a balloon, and as she exhaled, she caused a great gust of wind that pushed back most of the mist- enough to expose the cliff nearby that heralded a bottomless pit.

"Oh my gosh," whispered the stunned princess, as she could see just how far up this strange land was from the actual earth. "It… It's true! This place really does exist."

"Woah, way cool!" cheered Sonic as he approached a ivory palace entrance up ahead.

Sally grabbed his hand in earnest. "Sonic, this is incredible. Do you know what this means?"

"Yeah," smiled her blue friend. "It means the Time Stone must be in here, too."

"And if it is… then we can go back and time and-"

"And kick Ro' in the ol' butt-nik!" cheered Dulcy as she kicked dirt gleefully.

After a moment of giggles and chills, Sally instructed her dragon friend to stay outside to keep guard while she and Sonic moved forward to the temple entrance.

.

"_Hey, Sal… you get the feeling someone's watchin' us?"_

"_You're just imagining things."_

Safely hidden in his palace, a robed figure was observing the visitors through a camera link connected to the eyes of his griffin statues. When the visitors changed started to walk out of range, he was forced to move the camera via computer knob. This in turn caused the griffins to slightly move in their seated place.

"_What was that?" gasped the hedgehog._

"_What?" asked the princess. She glanced around, and saw nothing out of the ordinary._

The mysterious one turned the knob on his computer-like keyboard again, only this time he jerked the griffins' position far enough to be noticeable.

"…_That!" The hedgehog braced himself. "Don't move… Maybe they won't notice us." _

Now with their cover blown, the robed one pressed down on the knob, which also served as the activation button of the stone griffins. Their eyes flashed red, and they appeared to have come to life and started to stalk the visitors.

"…_Then again, not! Grab on, Sal; we're outta here!"_

The robed figure watched as his robot griffins charged the strangers, and took notice of the hedgehog's breakneck speed. The blue visitor, with his princess in tow, was chased to the edge of the cliff where he was sure to meet his end, when he made a suicidal jump. This caused the griffin guards to jump after them; knowing that they would crash to earth, the robed one palmed his forehead in defeat. He was even more miffed to see that the hedgehog and princess were safely flown back to the island by his dragon friend.

.

"That," growled Sally upon being saved by Dulcy, "was your idea of a 'brilliant plan,' Sonic?"

"Well," smiled Dulcy, "he did whistle for me Sally." This caused the hedgehog to smile proudly from cheek to cheek.

But again, Dulcy proved to be a poor lander, as she skid on the ground and plowed straight through the palace's front door. Sally and Sonic rolled off of her back and into a dark hallway, much to the grimace of the robed one watching in another room.

.

While tapping away on his keyboard, the mystery man switched on the gears that controlled the staircases of the next room…

.

When Sonic opened the one visible door, he was greeted to a grand hall with staircases that climbed both vertically and horizontally. Sone even criss-crossed and overlapped each other.

"Check it out," mused the blue hedgehog as he stared down the hallway of impossible stairs. "I'm gonna fire my travel agent."

"It's not the cruise I had in mind either," replied his companion. "Come on."

"Man! Where's an elevator when you need one?" asked the hedgehog, as both he and his princess felt the loss of gravity upon their first trip down… and up… the stairs.

.

Still confined to his dark computer room, the robed one kept on tapping away, making the gears underneath the stairs to shift position, over and over again.

.

"Major headache," moaned Sonic as the room kept spinning.

While the duo was starting to experience vertigo, Sonic was at least more accustomed to being rolled around (rolling around was kind of his thing, after all). So it didn't take long for him at least to get over the disorientation and find a new door. Grabbing Sally by the hand, he led her to a shiny blue door and grabbed ahold of its knob.

But it turned out to be a trap door, which upon opening sucked in the visitors down a twisting and turning waterfall. They screamed and flailed, but were at the mercy of the current, until at last it threw them down onto a checkerboard floor. Then, the lights went out.

"...Where the heck are we?" asked the hedgehog, whose eyes alone were visible in the darkness.

"Good question," said the blue female eyes.

"I try," smiled the white eyes.

It was now or never for the robed one; he flicked on the lights, causing Sonic and Sally to cover their eyes in alarm. Then, with smoke and spotlights, he confused them even more. This gave him just enough time to lower down a giant wooden owl head with a purple cape, held in the air by thin yet strong puppet strings.

"I AM THE KEEPER OF THE TIME STONES!" bellowed the wooden owl in a deep, foreboding voice. "TO USE THEM, YOU MUST SOLVE MY RIDDLE…"

"A riddle?" gasped the irritated hedgehog.

"I should have known there was more to this place," frowned Sally.

"ARE YOU READY TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE, MORTALS?"

The blue hedgehog crossed his arms in defiance. "Look pal, we've already gotten past your griffin guards and your spinning staircase, _and_ your bad plumbing! You really think we're gonna just sit here and play guessing games all day?"

"I WILL NOT TOLERATE SUCH INSOLENCE! I AM THE ONE HOLDING THE TIME STONES, AND YOU WILL OBE-eeyyyy_hhaaahh_!"

In its anger, the owl head began to shake uncontrollably, causing one of its puppet strings to snap. Sonic and Sally watched as the owl puppet teetered and spun around until a small creature cloaked in a brown hooded robe fell from behind the owl head. He landed on his belly at Sonic's feet, with a microphone in hand to show that he had been voicing the owl puppet all along.

Sonic glanced at the creature's elongated muzzle, which peaked out from under the hood, and smiled. "Aww, look Sal, it's a little puppy dog!" Then he whistled, "_Whoo-whoo!_ Here, boy!"

"Uhh," stammered the creature, as he scrambled to his feet and was quick to hide his whole face under his hood. "Y-you weren't supposed to see that..."

"Who _are _you?" asked the curious princess.

"I am the true Keeper of the Time Stones; the owl was just a ruse to hide my true identity."

"Lotta good that did."

"Sonic," snapped the princess, "show a little respect." She then turned to the cloaked one and pleaded, "Sir, we're very sorry we've intruded on your island, but we desperately need the Time Stones. We need them to go back in time and stop Doctor Robotnik, before he took over our homeland."

The hooded one scratched his concealed chin. "Hmm… It's a noble enough cause, I guess, and I _am_ impressed that you made it this far… But you must still answer my riddle in order to earn one of the stones."

"Can't we just give you a lil' treat for one of 'em, Fido?" teased Sonic. Sally elbowed him again in frustration. "Ow!" he winced.

The Time Keeper growled, "I take no bribes… And I'm not a dog."

"Okay, okay," shrugged the hedgehog. "Riddle us already."

"I RUN, AND RU…. Oh, heh-heh, sorry." Turning down his microphone, the hooded Time Keeper proceeded with his riddle: "I run and run, but cannot flee… I am often watched, but never see."

"That's cake: a seeing-eye owl!" guessed Sonic.

"Sonic, let him finish," frowned Sally.

"When long," breathed the Time Keeper, "I bring boredom. And when short, I bring FEAR!" He purposely turned up his microphones volume to emphasize the fear, spooking his island's intruders successfully. "…What am I?"

Sonic paused in deep thought. "Hmm… Not sure. I wanna say Labrador, but I'm getting some terrier vibes here. No-no-no, wait. I'm gonna guess poodle, 'cause only a poodle could get away with that tacky robe."

The hooded one stomped his foot, screaming, "I AM NOT A DOG! I'M AN ECH-"

"Stop wasting time!" yelled Sally at that exact moment, making the Time Keeper stop mid-rant.

"…What… What did you say?" he asked her.

"Huh?" gasped the startled princess. "I said… Wait, that's it! The answer is Time!"

"Yes. That is correct!" Feeling a bit defeated and yet impressed, the Time Keeper raised his hands in the air, and magically summoning a grey, emerald-cut stone that was big enough for both Sonic and Sally to grasp onto. "To reach your destination," he informed, "you must synchronize your thinking."

"Synchronize your what?" asked a confused Sonic.

"Thinking," repeated the princess. "For some of us," she then mused in a whisper, "just thinking would be a first..." Together then, they each held onto a side of the stone.

"Remember Sonic, concentrate on the palace fountain, and the year 3224. Nothing else."

"No prob, Sal. Palace fountain, 3224. Let's bust!"

"Palace fountain, 3224… Palace fountain, 3224… Palace fountain, 32-"

"Chilidogs!"

"Sonic!"

A halo of golden light blanketed them, with the addition of a transparent illusion of a clock's face, with hands starting to turn backwards. The backward spinning clock hands swirled into a vortex, in which the hedgehog and squirrely princess disappeared into, until only the robed Time Keeper remained.

"Well," groaned the hooded figure as he lifted his hood to reveal himself as a young Knuckles the Echidna. "That seemed a lot more work than it was worth. I really need to up the security around here…"

.

**Epilogue**

Hours had gone by before young Knuckles was greeted with the returning Time Stone. He held out his clawed paws so that the stone would fall into them.

"Hmm," he mused to himself. "I can tell by the stone's magic that not much of history has changed. I guess they couldn't fulfill their mission… which means they'll be back." He sighed with a gloomy frown as he walked down a long hallway. "And now, my secret's out… I can't have everybody knocking on my door and demanding my Time and Chaos stones. If only there was another place where I can make sure they won't be taken so easily…"

As he stared out the window of his palace, the little red echidna glanced upward at the distant Little Planet… and got an idea.

.

**END**


	120. One Bad Day: Sonic vs Scourge

_I was saving this story for a milestone chapter number, and I just barely got it done in time for Sonic's 21st. _

_Happy birthday, Sonic! And go easy on the alcohol, or must I remind you of what happened last time? (See Drabble #31 for the reference.)_

.

"**ONE BAD DAY"  
**

**A Sonic vs. Scourge Drabble**

_Set in the Archie-verse, during the "Mecha-Sally" Arc_

_(Between Issues 238 and 239)_

.

_This was not Eggman's day._

_His second Death Egg had fallen. His robots, all destroyed. His most prized possession, Mecha-Sally, was nowhere to be seen. And here he lied, among the scattered debris of his once great flying fortress, his clothes tattered and burned, along with his skin and fabulous moustache, and even his iconic shades were now a fractured mess. Getting back up on his feet seemed impossible- not because he was so morbidly obese, but because his foe was standing right there on his tummy, looking down on him like a raven to a worm._

"_S-s-s-sonic," he pleaded with a small, timid voice. "Pl-please… I'm… I'm sorry. I realize now that I've gone too far. I… I sh-shouldn't have goaded you on like that. Just… Just go easy on me, won't you? I'm an old man, after all."_

_Sonic wasn't responding, he just stood there, arms crossed and quills spiked to their peak. His green eyes burned into Eggman's skull._

_The doctor raised a quivering hand in defense, revealing fingers from his torn glove. "Okay, okay. I'll make it up to you, I promise. I'll- I'll bring Sally back. I swear, she'll be good as new! Alright? …..Um, ho-how about I pay a little visit to your injured friend? A-Andy, was it? Oh, whatever his name is, I'll fix him up good as new also. Scout's honor."_

_The hedgehog grit his teeth._

"_WHAT, Sonic? What is it that you want from me? Answe-**gulp**!"_

_Eggman's voice- and breath, for that matter- was cut off by the sudden grip Sonic had on his throat. Quite the feat, seeing as how no one around there seemed to even have a throat to grab; nevertheless, the mad doctor was now completely at the hedgehog's mercy._

"_You know what I want, Eggman?" he said in a low, cold voice. "…I want to end this game. Right now."_

_His grip tightened._

_Sonic's eyes never flinched, or even blinked, as his arch nemesis was now flapping his arms helplessly, gagging and praying for air. With every jerk of Eggman's body, Sonic's grip just squeezed tighter and tighter, like a python's coils on a rat. Eggman's face was starting to turn blue… and Sonic's fur was starting to turn a bright green. Eggman's red eyes started to roll back, and Sonic's green eyes flashed sky blue. Eggman's mouth gapped wide open, with his tongue hanging out. Sonic's mouth curled into a smile, with fangs for teeth._

_Then, he heard that all too familiar voice: _"All it'll take is one bad day, and you'll be just like me."

_Sonic could see himself transforming into his evil lookalike, and forced himself to wake up._

.

"NO!" he threw his upper body up from his red car bed, screaming and panting, while a cold sweat poured down his head and back.

He had to pause and survey his room to make sure that he was back in reality before taking a deep sigh of relief. It was a Tuesday; the sun was shining through the window, and the Eggman Empire was still threatening the world. Again, he sighed in relief.

Then his ears perked up to voices coming from outside his room. His mother and father's voices were muffled, but he could tell by their tone that they were in distress- someone was approaching his bedroom, and his parents couldn't stop him. Then with a great "Wham!" the door was kicked open.

Sonic spin-dashed out of his bed and was greeted by a very ticked off Monkey Khan, with his magical staff in hand. Sonic's parents were in the doorway, looking quite sorry for having let the monkey get this far.

"You!" shouted Ken, pointing a finger at Sonic.

Sonic sarcastically responded, "Yes, I'm Me. And this is my room. Hope you enjoyed the grand tour."

Ken shook his fist. "Why didn't you tell me that Sally was kidnapped and roboticized?"

"…Oh." Sonic's ears drooped; why didn't he see this coming? "Um, well, it all kinda happened really fast, you know Monk? But we're working on it, I swear."

"You're working on it… Is that all you can say about the woman who chose to spend the rest of her life with you? You're 'WORKING ON IT?'"

Not surprisingly, Ken lunged himself at Sonic, and the two of them found themselves crashing through the window of his bedroom and tumbled out into the open where Tails, Rotor and a few other civilians were walking about their daily lives. Everyone stopped to see the monkey and hedgehog tussle- well, actually, it was just the monkey throwing fists, while the hedgehog dodged each blow with ease.

"I offered her my hand, my kingdom! And she turned me down for you!" Ken swung his staff like a baseball bat.

Sonic scurried up a tree. "Look, Kenny, I've tried to save her a couple times already. It's kind of tough to beat her when you don't wanna seriously damage her, you know?"

"I know," huffed Ken as he summoned up his small white cloud and used it to reach Sonic's level. "I was forced to fight her as well, and she gets her power from a Ring, without which she could die."

"So what're you fighting _me _for? We should team up and kick Eggman's Ro-butt together."

"You seem so concerned for her, while you're lying in bed and sleeping the day away."

"Gimmie a break, I've been running halfway across the globe with my friends, saving everyone else from getting either Roboticized or Legionized. That's a lot of work, you know; a guy tends to run out of juice after a while."

"Well, are you 'juiced up' now?"

"Thanks to you and your rude awakening? …Yeah. I guess I am."

"Then let's not waste any more time. We take down the Death Egg now!"

Sonic jumped back down to earth, holding out his hands in "time-out" formation. "Hang on there, monkey-boy. We can't just go barging in there and expect Egghead to just wave his arms in surrender. As Sally would say, we need a strategy here."

Ken paused while descending back to the ground, thus making his cloud disappear. "…Hmm… It seems like you've matured a bit since we last met, hedgehog."

Sonic's eyelids closed halfway. "That was three months ago."

"Sonic?" gasped Tails as he ran to his best buddy's side. "Is everything okay here?"

"We're cool Tails," said Sonic with half a smile. "Donkey Khan here just wants to go into the Death Egg guns blazing and gum chewing, that's all."

Tails replied, "We need to find out the Death Egg's current location first."

"Yeah," frowned Sonic. "We also need to find out its weaknesses and where Sally's being kept in it…"

As Sonic and friends kept talking, two figures were eavesdropping in the shrubs nearby. Nobody seemed to notice, but as they tried to listen in on the blue hedgehog's conversation, they were making the leaves of their hiding place shiver.

"Move your elbow, babe. I'm trying to hear this," whispered the male.

"I'll move once you get your shoe off my tail," whispered the female.

"_Shhh."_

"What the situation back in Dragon Kingdom?" Tails asked Ken.

The monkey replied, "One of the Dark Egg Legion chapters is there, led by both Conquering Storm and The Iron Queen. Apparently, she's weaseled her way back into Eggman's good graces."

"That's no good," frowned Sonic. "So where else can we go?"

"Urgh," moaned the secretive male as he struggled in the shrub. "These dang thorns are getting caught on my jacket."

"Why don't you just take it off?" inquired the female softly.

"Because," said the male slyly, "I wanna at least look good when I show up in Goodie-Good's face."

"Why don't we just attack them now?"

"No… Now's not the right time. I need to find out where they're going first, babe."

After their ears knocked back and forth for a few more minutes, they finally heard the words "Great Desert," and something about "Oil Ocean Zone." This made the male pull away from the thick shrub and scurry off into the deep forest, with the female lagging behind.

"Okay then," said Sonic, "here's the plan: The Death Egg's gonna need oil from the old factory, so Eggman's probably gonna head there soon. We meet up there and sneak on board the ship just as it's parking it fat kiester on the loading dock."

"Finally, a plan that may work," nodded Ken.

"But Sonic," asked Tails worriedly, "what about the Baron and his Legion?"

"The Baron will be the least of our worries, bud. Besides, if we're lucky, we might just get some backup there."

"You mean Bunnie?"

"Actually, I was talking about the Sand Blasters. But yeah, a cameo from Bunnie would be nice."

"Let's not waste any more time then," said Ken as he recalled his lucky cloud.

"Tails, go fetch Amy. She's gonna wanna play Whack-A-Badnik."

"Got it, Sonic. I'll get the Tornado too."

As Tails zoomed off, Ken looked down at his former rival. "Sonic… I'm sorry I accused you of being lazy. I was just… venting, I guess."

"Forget it, dude, it's over the bridge, or through the woods… Whatever."

The two of them followed after Tails.

.

Meanwhile, the two eavesdroppers were moving farther and farther from civilization. The female was still trailing behind her boyfriend, looking quite confused by his behavior.

"Babe?" she asked. "What did you mean by 'the right time?' Wasn't the plan to take on Sonic when he least expected us?"

"That _was_ the plan," her boyfriend admitted, "but now I just got the scoop of the century! Let's rally up the boys and head straight for Oil Ocean Zone."

"And then we take on Sonic… right?" asked Fiona.

Scourge stopped to turn around and face her. He pulled down his sunglasses to reveal his ice cold blue eyes. His razor sharp teeth grinned.

"No, babe. We're gonna let Sonic do his thing, and take out his worst enemy once and for all."

Fiona gasped in shock. "What? You mean you… you want him to_ win_?"

"I want him to take revenge. I want him to prove to the whole world, me most importantly, that he truly does have a dark side… And the moment it finally happens, I want a front row seat."

.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	121. One Fine Day: Scourge vs Sonic

_Ian Flynn has said in an interview that he wanted to incorporate Scourge into the current Archie story arc, but couldn't. This is my personal version of what might have been._

.

"**ONE FINE DAY"  
**

**A Scourge vs. Sonic Drabble**

_Set in the Archie-verse, during the "Mecha-Sally" Arc_

_(Between Issues 238 and 239)_

.

After the Death Egg Mach-2 had guzzled the "oil ocean" dry, the once prominent Eggman base in the great desert was now re-dubbed "Oil Desert Zone." This was the setting of the next showdown between the Hero of Mobius and his arch nemesis… It was also the home base of one of the Dark Egg Legions, led by Bunnie Rabbot's cyborg uncle, Baron Beauregard Rabbot.

But the Baron had other enemies, not just the Freedom Fighters; another band of vigilantes known as the Sand Blasters were a constant threat to the oil refinery- only they used actual weapons. This was key in Sonic's plan, as he and Team Fighters (Amy, Tails, and now Monkey Khan) proceeded to sneak through the refinery and hope that the Sand Blasters were already keeping the Baron and his goons busy. All Sonic and company had to do was wait for the Death Egg to land in a docking base to refuel.

Amy gripped onto her mallet tightly as the giant aircraft slowly made its way toward the refinery. "This is taking too long," she said through grit teeth. "At least let me pound a few Badniks while I'm here."

"We can't let them know we're here," Sonic advised in a whisper. "Just let Jack Rabbit do all the ground work."

"Then we run in and rescue Sally," added Ken eagerly.

Sonic gulped. "Yeah… that's the plan, anyway. I just hope it works."

More minutes ticked away as the Death Egg made a slow and steady landing on the dock. The hidden team watched as Eggman himself stepped out of the aircraft and was greeted by Baron Beauregard with a firm, robotic handshake.

Now Sonic was getting impatient. "Where the heck is Jack?"

Tails replied, "I texted him an hour ago. He should have been here with his gang by now…"

"Let's wait until Eggman leaves, then we sneak in," Ken suggested.

"You and me will go in, Ken. Amy? Tails? Keep an eye on Butt-nik, and warn us if anybody else goes in there."

"Aww, come on Sonic! Why'd you bring me out here if I don't get to smash anything?"

"Relax, Ames. You'll get your chance- besides, it'll be easier if it's just me n' the monk in there."

As Sonic explained his plan, none of the team members seemed to notice two small, dark figures slip in through the front door of the Death Egg. One of them was spiked like a hedgehog, the other had a long, foxy tail.

"You two better not butt heads while we sit out here waiting for you," warned Amy. "I_ do_ plan on hitting_ something_ today."

A bead of sweat trickled down Sonic's head as he chuckled nervously.

As Sonic and Ken parted ways with Amy and Tails, Ken (while floating on his lucky cloud) couldn't help but wonder, "Is she always this aggressive?"

Sonic smiled, "Only when she's angry. And hungry. And tired. And rejected for the fiftieth time in a week… and I might owe her money."

"You have the strangest taste in friends, hedgehog."

.

Not expecting a warm welcome, Sonic and Ken burned rubber through the vessel's main hall, only to have a sudden feeling of light-headedness. They were caught unawares of the lit up yellow arrow lights directing the windy roadway, and before they knew it, Sonic and Ken were running upside down.

"Anti gravity. Well, that figures," groaned Sonic. He should have known better; the first Death-Egg also had anti-gravity halls.

As the duo kept racing, their bodies kept whirling either upside down, right side up, or sideways, depending on which corner they wanted to turn. After a few minutes, Ken started to feel the dizzying effects, and summoned up his cloud. Unfortunately for him, even the cloud was stuck to the ceiling. "Well," he frowned, "so much for that."

.

Way ahead of them were Scourge and Fiona, on their way to the main control room where they hoped to confront their rivals. Scourge spin-dashed into a line of robots just waiting to be smashed; he ricocheted off of one and into another in a zig-zag pattern.

"Babe? What're you doing?" asked Fiona, who trailed behind.

"I'm clearing the path," replied her green boyfriend. "What's it look like?"

"Don't you think we're making it a little too easy for Sonic to get to the center?"

Scourge brushed off her concern as he peddled on. "Relax, babe! I know what I'm doing."

.

"Octus, left corner pocket!" aimed Amy, as she wound up her hammer then let it loose to pummel the pink octopus-shaped Badnik hovering in the corner of a platform opposite hers.

After recalling her hammer, Amy followed Tails down a slippery slope of crude oil, into a patch of sand where giant mechanical sandworms were waiting. Amy, at last, got to play her game of "Whack-A-Badnik," in this case, metal worms.

"Amy, check this out!" Tails pointed out an Item Box with a star on its side. When they broke it open, they unlocked a special bounce attack that allowed them to curl into balls of yellow and pink, and ricochet off of every wall and Badnik within a ten feet radius. And as if that wasn't enough, they were greeted by a shower of Power Rings afterwards.

"Having fun there, youngins?" came a deep male voice.

Tails and Amy stopped and looked up; looking down on them from a high rise was Desert Legion Grandmaster, Baron Baereguard Rabbot.

Tails gasped and whispered to his pink friend, "That must be Bunnie's uncle."

"Indeed Ah am," said the gentlemanly lop-eared rabbit. "Now what, may Ah ask, are y'all doin' in mah lil' sandbox, breakin' mah lil' toys fer?"

Feeling confidant, Amy replied, "It's nothing personal, sir. We just want to distract Eggman before-"

"Amy!" snapped Tails.

"Ah see yer lil' game, young'ins. Y'all wanna pick a fight with the Big Boss, don'tcha? And yer blue speedy friend's around here too, ain't he?"

Amy glared at him defiantly. "We don't need a babysitter." Then she softened her eyes. "We just want our friend Sally back, Mister Rabbot."

"Baron."

"Whatever. You know she was your niece's best friend! How could you let Eggman enslave her like that?"

The Baron raised his hands in defense. "Look, believe me, Ah am just as disgusted with this as y'all are, but I got no say in it neither. Ah gotta keep quiet or else Eggman might think to roboticize my people, and we just got used to bein' normal Mobians again!"

Tails nodded, and came up with a clever compromise. "Okay, I see your point. But here's an idea: you don't have to report us to Eggman. Let him find us and we'll make it look like we've caught you all by surprise. You and your friends will stay safe, and we can still go on with the rescue."

As the Baron scratched his chin, Amy clasped her hands in prayer. "Please, Mister Baron, sir? If not for Sally's sake, than at least for Bunnie's?"

His eyes narrowed; how dare they play his niece like a card in poker? Still, there was some truth in their words; if Bunnie ever learned that he had captured her friends, she would never forgive him. He closed his eyes in defeat.

"Do what you will."

Amy jumped in delight, just when Tails grabbed her arm and smiled, "Let's head for the center!"

The Baron silently watched as they sped off in a cloud of desert dust.

.

In no time, Ken and Sonic found the heart of the new Death Egg… literally.

No, really! In the centermost part of the vessel was a hovering heart-shaped vehicle, one half painted red the other blue, and surrounding it were three halos of electro-magnetically charged rings of dark metal.

"Woah," mused Sonic in amazement.

"…Gotta hand it to the Doc; he knows how to make things interesting," smirked Sonic's voice in the near distance.

Thinking that to be an echo, Ken looked to Sonic and replied, "This is no time to make small talk."

Sonic looked at him curiously. "I didn't say that."

"_I _did," came the voice again. Suddenly, the green hedgehog in black leather jumped down from a platform above, landing in front of the heroic duo, with Fiona jumping down after him.

"Scourge." Sonic clenched both his teeth and his fists.

His doppelganger replied with a fanged smirk, "What's the matter, big blue? Did I catch ya at a bad time?" His chuckle made Sonic's skin crawl.

"So," frowned Ken at the green one, "this is the Evil Sonic I've heard about."

"That's funny," smiled the green hedgehog, "'Cause I've never seen or heard of you. What do they call ya? 'Butt the Monkey?'"

"I was gonna say 'Monkey Inda Middle'," added Fiona. She giggled for a few seconds, but then noticed her boyfriend marching up to her, looking quite angry. Her left ear dropped as she worriedly gripped her right arm.

Scourge glared at her with a wicked grin. "_Who's_ the boss in this team? Hmm?"

"You are?"

"Riiight. So, _who_ gets to make the lame puns?"

She looked downward, looking both sad and annoyed. "You do." She then presented her hand, which he slapped in the manner of a parent correcting a naughty child.

Looking bored already, Sonic asked with sleepy eyes and crossed arms, "Are we done here? I kinda have a day to save, you know."

"Sure," shrugged Scourge. "Let's just wait for your girlfriend to show up so we can finish this… Oh wait, that's right! She's on Eggman's side now, isn't she? Ha!"

Sonic cringed with rage. "Who… Who told you?"

"Not important. What's important is that now you gotta make a choice: fight me and my loyal, loving squeeze here; or go rescue your lifeless mind-controlled femme-bot. Your choice."

Before Sonic could reply, Monkey Khan stepped forward, presenting his scepter. "Sonic, you go on ahead. I'll take care of these two."

"Wha? But… But Ken."

"You're Sally's chosen one. Go, find and save her."

Sonic paused, not sure just how to respond to this act of selflessness. But Ken was right, the clock was ticking. He spin-dashed out of there in a split second.

"As for you," said the monkey as he pointed his scepter at Scourge and Fiona. "My name is Ken 'Monkey' Khan, leader of the free peoples of the Dragon Kingdom. And I do not take kindly to rude sub-villains."

.

Sonic wouldn't find Mecha-Sally in the Death Egg, and his friends outside were about to learn that the hard way.

While Amy pulverized three Fire Orbinauts with her hammer, Tails was being chased around by flying metal seahorses- remnants of the old zone. But what they didn't notice was that two figures in the sky finally took notice of them: Eggman in his egg-mobile, and Mecha-Sally with her rocket boots engaged.

"We just can't land anywhere without there being a pest problem, can we my dear?" asked the mad scientist.

"Negative," replied the cold machine.

"Do me a favor, princess: please take care of these rodents for me."

"As you command."

Mecha-Sally swooped in and grabbed ahold of Amy, tackling her to the ground. They skid into a puddle of crude oil; seeing her dress ruined made Amy scream once, and seeing Mecha-Sally made her scream twice.

The former chipmunk swiped with her claws, but lost her footing due to the slippery floor and nearly fell to the ground. Amy tried to balance herself with her hammer, but she too was starting to slide like a drunken ice skater. Despite taking their swings at each other, the two of them looked more like they were dancing than fighting.

"Amy!" called out Tails. "Are you okay?"

The pink she-hog called back, "I'm fine! I'm just fighting for my life, that's all!"

"Critical error," muttered Mecha-Sally. "Surface is… unstable… Must not engage rocket boosters; concern of severe burning."

"You're telling me, sister."

"Logical error. Hedgehog and I are of no relation."

"It was a phrase, Sally. Geeze, they even took away your sense of humor. Those monsters."

"Sense of humor… Not registering to mainframe. Loading encyclopedia for further-"

"Oh, knock it off!" With a delicate yet effective bonk, Amy tapped Mecha-Sally square on the forehead, causing her to fall over into deeper crude oil.

"Ugh," moaned Eggman as he palmed his brow. "Must I do everything around here?"

With a press of a button, Eggman unleashed his giant ball and chain from the bottom of his egg-mobile. Amy was just about to grab ahold of Mecha-Sally, when the checkered ball came flying her way.

"Amy! Lookout!" cried out Tails. He came sliding into the fray, wedging himself between his friend and the ball. As a result, both members of Team Fighters were sent flying through the air.

.

Ken had his hands full with the feisty and fleet-footed Fiona, as they played tug-o-war with his electric scepter. This gave Scourge time to make a swift exit, as he headed in Sonic's direction.

When he found his benevolent counterpart at last, it was inside Eggman's main control chamber, with levers and steering wheels and miles of keyboards ready to activate any and all weaponry. Sonic had just enough time to figure out just what buttons went with which mechanism in the fortress, but of course he was doing so in his own time, meaning milliseconds. He only paused once, and that was when Eggman's image was shown on a giant monitor. Sonic gasped as he witnessed his friends' humiliating defeat. Then he glared intently on his enemy.

Scourge stayed quiet and in the shadows, waiting until Sonic finally found…

"Laser cannon controls," whispered Sonic as he recognized a set of buttons and a steering wheel on the center keyboard. He fiddled with both the wheel and the smaller buttons until the monitor flashed a bull's eye beam around his target.

Here now was the moment Scourge had been waiting for. He ducked behind a pipeline to watch closely, as his blue counterpart stared unemotionally at the red ringed image of Eggman, with his right index finger hovering over the giant red "Fire" button.

Scourge whispered to himself while trying as hard as ever to retrain his delight. "Go on…. Do it… Do it, golden boy. Shoot him…"

Sonic couldn't hear Scourge, he was too focused on his agenda. …Or, was it his agenda? He didn't seem to be sure.

"Shoot him now… You'll never get a better chance…"

Sonic remained hesitant.

"All you need to do is push that button, and this nightmare will be all over. You'll get your girlfriend back, you'll save the world, and you'll never have to deal with that sicko omelet again."

Sonic started to sweat from his brow. Did he really want to do this? Was it right? Was this his destiny all along?

"Just do it…"

His finger started to tremble.

"Come on…"

He gulped nervously. His teeth started to chatter.

"Be the hero. Kill him…!"

His heart was racing, perhaps faster than even his feet could peddle. This was a moment he had been dreading ever since he was a child. It would have been so easy just to push that one button… and yet… it wasn't the right thing to do.

Sonic took a deep sigh, closed his eyes, and moved his hand away from the red button.

"OH, COME ON!" screamed Scourged as he jumped out of his hiding place, scaring Sonic out of his skin. "The button is right- there! Just push it already, what're you waiting for?"

Suddenly, it all made sense to Sonic. _That's_ why Scourge was here, and that's why he let him get this far in the Death Egg. "You want me to kill him."

"Of COURSE I want you to kill him!" screamed an exasperated Scourge. "This is what we both wanted!"

"No… No, Scourge, this is what _you_ wanted. Killing is _your _thing, not mine." The blue hero backed away from the main controls. "I'm sorry to disappoint… but I'm nothing like you."

With his fangs gnashing like crazy, Scourge started to shake with rage. "….Fine, then… If you're not man enough, then I'll do it!" He came at the controls in a green flash.

"NO!" screamed Sonic, coming at Scourge in a blue flash.

As they collided, the force of their speed pushed all of the laser control buttons at once, including the firing one. Sonic gasped, and in a mad haste he turned the steering wheel, causing the lasers to aim upward toward the sky, far away from Eggman.

.

**WHOOSH!**

The lasers hit the highest tower of the plant, causing an explosion that even knocked the egg-mobile off kilter.

"Was that… _my_ laser cannon?" gasped the alarmed doctor.

.

"You blue idiot!" yelled Scourge as he slapped Sonic upside his head. "Now he knows we're here!"

Sonic's green eyes burned into Scourge's icy blues. "…Then we'd better run."

Two flashes of green and blue tore through the innards of Eggman's fortress, collecting Fiona and Ken along their path, before they came flying out of there like two green and blue comets.

Scourge and Fiona stopped and watched as Sonic's comet form kept moving forward. "Come on, babe, the party's over."

Fiona was perplexed. "What happened back there?"

"Nevermind! Let's just book before the Egg-head gets reinforcements!"

Not wanting to argue, Fiona followed her lover's lead.

Meanwhile, Sonic and Ken (on his cloud) found Amy and Tails chained up and dangling over a deep puddle of burning oil, held up by Mecha-Sally.

"Drop them," commanded Ken, prepared to shock her with his lightning-powered scepter.

"This unit follows only one commander… However, since you asked so nicely…" She then let go of her captives, causing Ken to swoop down and catch them onto his cloud.

"My Master calls," said Mecha-Sally in her usual cold tone. Now that she was cleaned of oil, her rocket boots kicked into high gear. She zoomed past Sonic, who just missed grabbing her by inches.

Sonic then hopped onto Ken's lucky cloud and helped to unchain Amy and Tails. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine," frowned Amy, "but we're still outnumbered by the Legion."

Sonic's ears twitched at the sound of oncoming missiles. "Not to worry," he smiled, "I think the cavalry's finally arrived."

While the Sand Blasters didn't quite arrive on time, they were now keeping the Baron and his troops busy on the edge of the oil refinery. This was the distraction Sonic and his team needed to make their escape. Unfortunately, Eggman and Mecha-Sally were making their quick escape as well, as the Death Egg started up its engines.

.

Sonic and his friends made it halfway through the desert, following Scourge and Fiona's tracks in the sand, when they stopped to take a well-deserved breather. As they recuperated, their heads looked up and watched as the massive Death Egg made its ascension back into the heavens.

Tails shrugged with a frown. "That didn't exactly go according to plan, did it Sonic?"

As Sonic watched intently as his anti-self and Fiona scurried off into the horizon, he breathed a deep sigh of relief. "No, bud, it didn't… But at least I've proven to Scourge that I'm the better hedgehog."

Tails nodded. "Yeah… Wait. Does that count as a win for today?"

Sonic paused, thinking back to the nightmare he had that morning… Then, he cracked a small smile.

"It's a start."

.

**END**


	122. Night Flight: Rouge, Tails

_No, I do not support this coupling. I just like to think that SOMEBODY in Sonic's world has noticed just how "mature" Rouge looks._

.

**NIGHT FLIGHT**

A Tails and Rouge crush/friend Drabble

**Snodin**

.

It was another typical night for the reformed jewel thief, as Rouge the Bat hovered over the city lights of Station Square. Between the sparkling stars in the cloudless sky and the glowing towers down below, her temptations were beginning to grow from within once more. She was starting to miss the good ol' days when she was only looking out for herself and plundering any and every shop she could, so long as she could get her greedy little hands on twinkling diamonds or sapphires, or even emeralds- true emeralds, not like those magical ones that always seemed to be just beyond her reach.

She sighed out loud, certain that she was all alone to lament on her dilemma. When suddenly, a small voice replied from behind her: "I know what you mean."

Rouge stopped in mid-air, her wings fluttering like a butterfly's. It was that two-tailed fox boy that was sneaking up behind her, with his tails spinning like the blades of a helicopter. "It's a really nice night," he added with an innocent smile. "It's just too bad we're the only ones that can enjoy it from up here."

The she-bat was perplexed; her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms, still acting as though there was ground beneath her feet when there wasn't. "Isn't it a little late for you to be out, kiddo?"

Tails smiled again. "Heh, nah. Me n' Sonic have been out way later than this."

"Speaking of Big Blue, where is he? Shouldn't you be, you know, tailing him somewhere?"

"He's back home, sleeping already. Which is too bad, 'cause like I said, it's a beautiful night." His eyes began to wander off, as though he was afraid to look her in the eye.

"Hm," she hummed, already suspicious of him. "I was just scouting for possible criminal activity. I'll probably be out here till sunup, so..."

He got the hint and nodded. "Oh. Right, well I can hang out with you for a while, if that's okay."

"You really want to? We barely even know each other, kid."

"I don't mind. Besides, we foxes need to stick together."

Her eyes lit up in surprise. "_We_ foxes?"

The kit blushed, as though embarrassed. "You... _are_ a flying fox, aren't you?"

Rouge smiled, now understanding where the fox-boy was coming from. Funny, no one ever asked her what her specific bat species was before, nobody ever seemed to even care. Not even Shadow. But now suddenly this boy is curious, and it actually made her feel warm and tingly inside.

"You're sweet, kiddo..." She leaned in and pulled his cheek to hers; his fur puffed up in both fear and excitement. But instead of the kiss he was expecting, he received a whisper in his ear: "I'm a vampire bat."

Tails' tails uncurled, making him flightless. His body began to plummet to the ground, but just before he hit the concrete, his foot was caught by the bat-girl. She laid him down on a street corner, careful not to let him land on his head. But throughout the quick save, his face remained locked in a state of shock, as though he were paralyzed. She poked his forehead, but no movement, not even a flinch. This amused her all the more.

"You're silly, too. I like that." She finally rewarded him with a small kiss on the cheek, and took off into the air, satisfied that she had stolen something that night.

As for Tails, his cheeks flushed red and his mouth curled into a silly grin, and he practically melted into the pavement. His first kiss. Ever. What a nice night, indeed.

.

**END**


	123. Killer Is In Their Name: Sonic

_I'm currently working on a bigger Drabble that was requested recently, but I don't think I'll be able to get it done this weekend. So here's a little something to whet your whistles._

.

"'**KILLER' IS IN THEIR NAME"**

A "Sonic Adventure" Drabble

Snodin

.

"Faster… Faster…!" he whispered to himself while speeding along the small islands of Emerald Coast.

He was a hedgehog on a mission- well, _two_ missions, actually. His main mission was to find out what Doctor Eggman was up to and how it involved some kind of water-formed creature named Chaos. And the other mission? Well, that was quite simple: he just had to stay one step ahead of-

_**WHOOSH!**_

Him!

"Oh, God!" gasped the blue hedgehog, as he thundered down the old and beaten down palm tree bridge, while a massive beast came breeching out of the ocean like a bat out of hell. There was no doubt about it now, this beast was after him! At first, seeing it suddenly pop out of the water looked normal enough, but now it was deliberately jumping out of the water toward him! And the water was so shallow; how could such a leviathan even make that jump?

Sonic couldn't think about that, he couldn't even afford to look back. His path was narrow; between the wooden bridges and the scattered patches of land along the shore, there was little room for error. He was in his mid-teens, and he still hadn't learned how to swim. But perhaps swimming wasn't his biggest concern anymore, now that he was clearly on some sea monster's lunch menu. He was sure that one false step into the ocean would mark his doom. That's why he kept going faster.

"Come on… Almost there… Feet, don't fail me now!"

He could hear those unsettling crashes right behind him; a splash, followed by a boom as heavy monster met with a platform, then another splash, another boom, and so on. It was gaining on him. It seemed that this creature was on his own mission.

Sonic was starting to panic; when suddenly, he saw a flash of gold up ahead. "Yes!" he cheered. "Finally, the Goal Ring!" On his last strong breath, he peddled his feet onwards, even as he could see a looming shadow of a fearsome beast falling on him. He closed his eyes and burned the rubber of his shoes… _**Bling!**_ He was safe at last.

As the blue hedgehog disappeared, the orca that was following him returned to the deeper end of the shoreline. With half of his body still bobbing up and down above the water, he frowned in disappointment. In his orca speech, he lamented, "Now I'll never get his autograph."

.

**END**


	124. So Hard to Say Goodbye: KnuxSu

_My apologies for another long absence; Christmas season at work is hell. But now that I have more off days, I can make more fanfics, including the long-awaited requested one._

_But now for some more serious matters. _

_In case you're unaware, Ken Penders- a former head writer of Archie Comics- has recently filed suit against Archie for using the characters he created, including the likes of Julie-Su, Hershey the Cat, Saffron Bee, and others. Until the matter is settled, Archie is not allowed to use any of his characters, which explains the current situation of the echidnas in the comic book series. (In short, the echidnas, all but Knuckles, have been transported to an alternate dimension, thanks to a vengeful Thrash the Tasmanian Devil.) I personally am upset and angered by this whole situation, but I as a civilian can do very little about it, unless a petition or something comes up._

_The following Drabble was created in my response to the suit and its consequences to some of our beloved Archie characters. May we see them again… someday. (*insert small tear here*)_

.

"**SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE"  
**

**A Knuckles and Julie-Su Drabble**

**Set in the Archie Universe (Sort of),**

**Before Issue #244**

.

She came home to find a new hole in the wall of their makeshift home, made of marble that was salvaged from the ruins of Marble Garden. This made three holes now, two of which she had just recently patched up with concrete plaster. She sighed and shook her head upon looking at the gaping hole; "This doesn't fix anything, hon," she said in a small voice.

"I'm sorry," came a weak voice from the couch in their living room.

All night, he was throwing a tantrum after receiving the most disturbing news, and now as dawn broke, he was flat out exhausted. His head was bowed in shame while his eyes stared blankly at the piece of paper dangling from his right fist. "I couldn't help it. I'm just… so angry…" His fist started to crumble up the paper, any tighter and it surely would have shredded in his grasp.

Julie patently approached him, kneeling down before him while he slumped on the couch. She gently touched his cheek and lifted it so that she could look him in the eye. "I know how hard this is, for both of us," she frowned sincerely. "But it's only going to be for a little while."

"You don't know that," replied Knuckles in despair. "You and the others are gonna be gone for months… years… possibly forever! And there's nothing I can do about it except yell and scream and-"

"Punch through walls. Yeah… I know. She sighed again, softer this time. She then patted his knee and said, "They'll make it right, somehow. We just have to believe that."

The front door cracked open, and a human's voice came through: "Knuckles, you're on set in about ten minutes." The door was left ajar.

He cringed in his seat. "I don't wanna go through with this."

"Neither do I, hon." Her eyes started to water as she pouted.

His eyes were already drowning, mist was blurring his vision. "We won't even get to say goodbye."

"We have ten minutes. We can say goodbye right now." Her arms reached out to hold him.

His bottom lip curled; he looked like he would have collapsed. "I… I don't want to say goodbye. At all… Julie…"

"Shh." She grabbed ahold of him as he slumped forward.

As he fell into her arms, the crumbled up script for the new adventure fell from his hand top the floor. It would detail how he would be sent to the last echidna city left standing, only to find his people wiped off the face of Mobius- his mother, his cousins, his people, all gone in one fell swoop. This was the studio's idea of how they could allow Knuckles' people to go off on hiatus, one they were obligated to go on as part of their contract.

It wasn't just the echidnas that were suffering from this new deal; the effect was being felt all over Mobius. Amy never even had the chance to say goodbye to her cousin Rob, the one family member she knew she had. He, his wife Mari-An, and their child Jon, all but vanished one day without a trace, leaving their friends to guard Mercia in his absence.

Silver the Hedgehog wasn't yet allowed to go back to his own time, as promised that he would only return after he had dealt with the Traitor of the present time. But if he were to complete this task anytime soon, he would return home to find that his long-time mentor, Mammoth Mogul, was gone. A one prominent enemy to the Freedom Fighters, the ancient mammoth was also ordered to go on hiatus for a while. But without him, where could the time-traveling hedgehog turn to for fatherly advice?

Geoffrey St. John had already lost his wife Hershey, but she was originally scheduled to make a dramatic comeback. But now, because she fell under the same contract as Rob and the echidnas, she was forced to remain in the shadows, uncertain if she would ever get the chance to be with her beloved skunk again.

Two other hearts were breaking as well: Charmy Bee, who had lost all memory of his heritage, lost something even more precious to him in the recent days: his betrothed, Saffron Bee. Though he had barely known her, their relationship was growing faster and stronger than ever before. But then, one morning, "Poof." She was gone, vanished. There would come the days when the youthful bee would have to put on a brave face and act as hyper and cheerful as ever, but as soon as the cameras turned away, he no longer held back the tears.

Even the kingdom of New Mobotropolis was at a loss. Their one true king, Elias Acorn, was in the middle of planning his return to the throne, when out of the blue he was commanded by a greater power to remain within the Secret Freedom Fighters' base until further notice. But because he was under that same contract as the others who had recently "vanished," that notice may never come. In a sense, he had just been exiled _twice_. Only this second one felt more dooming than the first.

But in this one blissful moment in the small home of Knuckles and Julie-Su, none of that mattered. All that mattered was that they were together now, embracing and drying each other's tears, just before the door would open again and a human voice would say the red echidna's most dreaded five words: "Knuckles, you're needed on set."

He almost didn't hear the announcement; his eyes blinked open and he sat up straight in his seat when the order was called. With a deep sigh, he grumbled, "It's time." He struggled to find his feet, but when he did his face remained miserable. He stared at the ajar door with a sneer; "It's just not fair."

"No," frowned Julie, "it's not… But at least we had this. I won't forget it."

He turned back to her, and while still trembling a little he replied, "I'll never forget this." He then opened his arms to let her fly into them, and their lips touched harder and more passionately than perhaps ever before.

"Mister Echidna?" came that annoying human voice.

"Imm phummim," he mumbled in a low growl, still glued to Julie's face. She couldn't help but giggle.

Julie pulled back first, and for once she was smiling. "Good luck, hon."

He nodded back. "Thanks, hon." As he bravely stepped out of the marble home, he heard his girlfriend call out, "Remember, Knuckles, they can't keep us apart forever."

He gulped as he glanced back at her. "I hope so, Julie…"

"…Goodbye…"

He took a breath before saying, "No. No goodbyes. They're too… permanent. I'll… I'll see you, Julie."

She nodded. "I'll see you too, Knuckles." She gave him a wave with her steely arm before he quietly walked away. She would stand there and watch until he was gone completely from her sight.

When at last she walked back into the marble home, she glanced around and her eyes found the latest hole in the wall, made by her soul-mate's own fist. She paused, then mused at it. A small smile of hope crept up her cheek.

"Actually, I think it'll make a nice window."

Another tear fell from her left eye, but still she smiled.

.

**END…?**


	125. Don't Leave Me Hanging: Team Heroes

_I did one for The Super Gaming Brothers, it's only fitting that I do one for the Game Grumps. (Find them on YouTube, they're a riot.)_

_Some of the dialogue comes straight from Game Grumps, and I hope they don't sue... Can you be sued for copying a rant?_

.

**DON'T LEAVE ME HANGING**

A Sonic, Tails and Knuckles Drabble

**Snodin**

**Inspired by Game Grumps' "Sonic 2006" Gameplay**

.

Flame Core. They were certain that absolutely nothing could be worse than Crisis City's overall design, and then they hit Flame Core. Between the sideways ramps that they could never stay on, the jumps across platforms that always missed their targets, and the loading- by God, the loading- the trio of heroes was starting to lose interest in their goal for the first time since... ever!

"Ugh," groaned Sonic as he came to another strategically placed speed booster, "I don't trust this." He had reason not to trust it; whenever he hit a speed booster, it would carry him just inches away from the line of Rings he would need in order to proceed to the next platform. But since these were the only things that could keep him on the wall, he stepped through it. And true to form, he went shooting like a bullet past all of his Rings from one speed booster to the next. Going as fast as he did, he didn't see the small cliff up ahead and dove into the lava. Again. His head was starting to hurt.

After grabbing two rings, Sonic took advantage of his state of dizziness to keep from getting burned again, just in time to jump onto a blue rail that basically carried him to no effort over an obstacle course. Then it was onto yet another slippery wall dash, and lo and behold, an Invincibility box was there.

"NOW? They give me invincibility NOW?" groaned the blue hedgehog. And it wasn't like he really needed it; he easily flew past the lava worms that were several feet away from his path.

When he touched ground, he came to a door that slid upward, into a cavern. Except when he entered, he was greeted by pitch darkness. "What?" gasped the already perplexed hedgehog. How could a cavern full of lava even be capable of complete darkness?

Then he looked over to the Question Mark of Wisdom and read, "Concentrate your power on the light, and it will show you the way...?" He looked ahead at the purple floating ball of energy across a small stream of lava and jumped forward, using his Homing Attack to hit it. "Like, do I hit that? Is that what you want?"

"Yep," uttered Knuckles as he and Tails observed the ball of energy glowing on impact with Sonic.

Having no choice but to comply, Sonic started down the narrow path of rock and magma to light up a few more purple lamps, giggling, "I can still see, you know? I can at least see the lava cause, you know, it's made of fire!"

His friends laughed along with him; it was unclear if they were laughing to vent their frustration, or if the fumes of the heat was getting to their heads.

Sonic managed to get some of the light orbs, but as he progressed, they were harder to get to because of their placements, either on small patches of rock or just too deeply surrounded by magma. Feeling a lot of sympathy for his spiky blue friend, Knuckles stepped forward and said, "I'll take care of it."

With his ability to glide, Knuckles soared over the lava lake from one small patch of rock to the next, but lighting all of the orbs soon became tedious. He could see the next doorway up ahead, but when he landed in front of it, it didn't slide open. "Now what?"

"I think you're supposed to light them all dude," said Sonic in a half smile, thankful that he wasn't the one to have to do such a tedious task.

"Ugh, fine." Knuckles started to back-track along the lake of fire, unsure of which orb he hit and which didn't because their energy seemed to all be on the same level.

"Look how silly this is," giggled Tails in the far back. He of course couldn't do what Knuckles was doing, because... tail arthritis? Who knows?

"Oh, what's this?" mused Knuckles as he curiously landed on what looked like a switch. Unfortunately, this triggered his jump ability, and he went shooting straight up onto a stalactite. "Oh! ...Oh, I do not want to be here." He tried to shake himself off, but for some reason, he couldn't. "...Um... Uh..."

"Come on, dude! Hurry it up!" called out an impatient Sonic.

But Knuckles was at a loss. Were his knuckles dug too deeply in the rock? No. Were his feet stuck? No. Was he afraid of heights? Hell no! Then why..._ how_... was this possible? "Guys... I'm stuck."

"What?" gasped Sonic.

"I'm stuck! No, really. I can't get off this thing!"

"WHAT?"

"Dude, I'm not kidding! This thing... This rock... I can't shake myself free! I'm stuck!"

"WHAT?!"

By this point, Tails was on his back rolling in a fit of loud laughter. And he would keep laughing for a good long minute before finally muttering, "He looks like a cat stuck up in a tree! 'Help! I forgot how to get down!'"

Knuckles himself began to laugh at his own situation, that is until he heard the stomping feet of his blue friend headed in the direction from which they came. "Sonic? ...Sonic, don't leave! ...Sonic, come back, please?... SOOOOONIIIIIIIC!"

The blue hedgehog stomped back into view, his face fuming. "No, NO! I'm done, I'm freakin' done!"

"No you're not."

"This is STUPID!"

"Ah-hahahahahahahaha!"

"WHAT IS THIS? ….WHAT. IS. THIS? ...WHAT IS MY LIFE? I can't do it, Knux."

"I can't either!" laughed the echidna, tears coming from his eyes.

"I can't freakin' do it anymore!"

"I'll tell you what, Sonic! You can give up now, or you can beat it up, but I certainly can't do it without you, and I know you can't do it without me!"

Sonic paused to bend over and recuperate from his rage."I appreciate it," he said in a weak voice, "but look at what we're dealing with, man! You gotta draw a line somewhere, we gotta draw a freakin' line in the sand, dude! You gotta make a statement, you gotta look deep down inside you and say, 'What am I willing to put up with today?' NOT. THIS."

Somehow, beyond their understanding, Knuckles in that moment finally felt himself being loosed from the rock. He roared in ecstasy, "I'M OOOOOOFF! I'M FREE, I'M SUPERMAN! _I believe I can flyyyy.._." He then made a quick landing near Sonic, so that the two of them could pause to breathe.

"Oh, god!" panted Tails, his sides splitting from laughing so hard. "Oh, god! Oh, god. I will cherish this moment forever. I will always look back at this as the greatest night of my life... Ah... heh-heh-heh."

"Whoo!" sighed Knuckles deeply. "...Okay. Now, what were we doing?"

"LIGHTING THE LIGHTS!" screamed the hedgehog.

"Oh! Right!"

It wasn't long before Knuckles got his act together and lit all of the orbs so that the door into the next room would slide open. The trio then made a mad dash for the door.

Sonic finally smiled. "Thank you, Knuckles."

The red echidna then patted his back and said, "Let us never speak of this again."

As the older two led the charge, Tails followed behind, clutching his chest. His lungs may never be the same again.

.

**END**


	126. Is This How YOU Sonic?: Sonic, Mega Man

_I've been meaning to do a drabble of Sonic eating at a Sonic (restaurant), and this was the best idea I've come up with. _

_Also, if you ever get the chance, do yourself a favor and pick up _"World's Collide."_ It's epic._

.

"**Is This How You Sonic?"**

**A Sonic / Mega Man Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Set during the "World's Collide" Arc,**

**from Archie's "Sonic the Hedgehog" and "Mega Man"**

.

After what felt like a lifetime of hunting and defeating one Robot Master after another, it was only a matter of time before the new duo, Sonic and Mega Man, began to feel fatigue set in. At this point, most of Sonic's friends were rescued, save for a few who were probably guarding the already impregnable hideout of Doctors Eggman and Wily. If the mad scientists were trying to wear out their blue foes, their plan was working. However, there was one place that the Blue Blur had in mind to fill up his tummy in record time…

He saw it at a glance in Mega Man's home world; he was busy battling the Blue Bomber at the time, thinking he was another one of Eggman's generic badniks. It didn't take the heroes long to find out that they were on the same side, and for a moment the hedgehog had forgotten all about that drive-thru fast-food restaurant. But as soon as his stomach started to rumble, it all came back to him.

"**Sonic."** Those letters were clear as day in bold red letters over a bright yellow triangle. It must have been kismet, or just funny irony. Whatever it meant didn't matter, all he knew is that he just had to try it, once. He just had to.

And so here they were, the Blue Blur and Blue Bomber, sitting opposite each other on a table just outside of the building, not a care in the world. While Mega Man had a full plate of various foods (not that he actually needed it, though he did have the capability to taste food like a human), the hedgehog was scarfing down one chili cheese coney after another, after piling them onto his plate in pyramid formation. They were disappearing into his mouth so quickly, just watching the animal eat caused the robot to chew his food all the slower.

Then at last, he finally had it: "Could you please. Slow. Down?"

"_Urp_!" belched the hedgehog, then patted his bloated belly. "Sorry, what was that?"

The robot made a face. "Can't you eat like a normal person- err, hedgehog? You're making me lose my appetite."

"Heh, that's funny. I didn't know robots had appetites."

"I'm starting to wish I didn't…"

Three seconds later, Sonic opened his mouth wider than seemingly possible, tilted his plate upward, and allowed the remaining chilidogs to tumble into the vortex of his throat. "Aaahh…" he sighed in satisfaction.

"Thank goodness for that," sighed Rock as he believed that the gross-out torture was over.

Then without warning, Sonic pointed at Mega Man's untouched plate of jumbo popcorn chicken. "You gonna eat all that?"

The Blue Bomber shoved them across the table. "Help yourself. Not like you can possibly make this any more disgusting than you already-"

While Rock was saying this, the hedgehog reached behind his back and from his spines he pulled out a squeeze bottle full of homemade chili, and proceeded to spread it all over the chicken.

"Aaaaaand, I'm done," frowned a defeated Mega Man as he got up from the table and stormed off in an aggravated huff.

Oblivious to his new friend's disgust, the Blue Blur popped a few chilified chicken balls into his mouth before realizing he was suddenly all alone. When it did finally hit him, he narrowed his eyes in defiance.

With cheeks full of chicken and chili he sputtered, "My restaurant, my rules."

.

**END**


	127. Duck Hunt: Bean the Dynamite

_I realize that this may never happen in the comics, but it was an idea I couldn't pass up._

_Also, my apologies to the person who requested a Bean fic a long, long time ago. Sometimes my best ideas take the longest to develop._

..

..

"**DUCK HUNT"  
**

**A Bean the Dynamite Drabble**

**Requested by someone whose name escapes me, I'm so sorry!**

**Set in the Archie universe**

.

_Deer Diary… (Nah, that's too boring. Hmmm...)_

_Deer Miss Princess Angelina-Mona Lisa-Catherine Zeta-Caramel-Louis-Davis Diarrhea III,_

_Today is my birthday, and to celebrate, I'm going to the carnival by the mountains and steal myself a present._

.

**Twinkle Park Zone, summer.**

It really wasn't his birthday; why he wrote that in his personal, pink and polka-dotted diary is a mystery that only a brain as twisted as Bean's could solve. But there was a carnival just at the foot of the snow-capped mountains of the north, complete with amusement park rides and concession stands. And it was summertime, when most of the snow had retreated back to the highest points of the mountain range, making the park even more accessible to humans and animals alike. Bean the Dynamite just had to explore it, hoping he'd find something shiny to ogle at there.

All was quiet at first; no one seemed to notice a small green-feathered duckling skipping around from one area to another like a kid in a candy shop. But Bean could only contain himself for so long; once his eyes fell on a squirt gun game, the countdown to chaos had begun.

He darted over to the stand and saw that the biggest prize was a life-size plush of Sonic the Hedgehog. "Oh goodie," he squeaked, "I always wanted my own Sonic to blow up." He paid a single gold ring for the game; the objective was simple: aim for the bullseye with your water pistol until it filled up a balloon till it burst. First one to pop the balloon won. He was up against three other children- two humans, a boy and girl, and a female fawn. He paid them no mind as the buzzer went off to start the game. Bean wasn't much of a fair player; once he realized that his competition was gaining the advantage, he turned his water gun on them.

"Hey!" barked the game's host, "that's cheating!"

"They looked thirsty," quacked the duckling.

Despite his efforts, the little human girl was moments away from popping her water balloon. "I'm gonna win," she boasted.

Finally, Bean snapped. He pulled out a magic bomb from… nowhere, and declared, "You wanna see some balloons pop? I'll show ya how it's done!" He tossed it at his half-full balloon.

**BOOM!** Went the entire game stand, along with its prizes. Everyone was covered in ash, their hair and/or fur stood up in static shock. Bean smiled at the blackened game host and smiled, "Do I get a bonus for popping all of them?"

.

What came next was a barrage of explosions, panicked screams and green feathers flying. Bean's lunacy took him all over, from nabbing cotton candies to swiping out toy prizes for bombs. Twinkle Park was at a standstill.

"Quick!" shouted a random innocent bystander; "Someone call the cops! Call the fire department! Call G.U.N.!"

_**Screeeeech!**_ Almost as soon as their name was called, G.U.N. arrived with dozens of cars, at least two tanks and a giant black van, all screeching to a halt at the carnival's main gate. Men dressed in dark armored uniforms came out of their vehicles, armed with long rifles and ready to march into the amusement park as though it were a war zone.

Stepping out of the front car was the tallest and most aged of the team, and he was the top man, the Commander. "Alright, everyone, let's make this as quick and painless as possible. You men, help the citizens evacuate the area. Burns? Bring me the big guy."

"Yes, sir," saluted an officer.

"Commander?" asked another officer. "When do you want the second unit to move in?"

The grey-haired man with one green eye and one brown gave a huff. "It's just one little duck, Lieutenant. We only need one agent for this mess."

..

..

_Today, Diarrhea, I made some new friends today! One of them was a big, square, ugly red robot with giant claws and guns on his arms and missiles shooting out of his shoulders, making all kinds of glorious explosions. He seemed nice._

.

"Come on, horsey! Ride me off into the sunset!" pleaded Bean with a merry-go-round horse. In his twisted mind, the horse was alive and able to take him away from the oncoming cops. "What's the matter with this thing? Is it out of batteries?" He kicked at it and tugged at its reins, to no avail.

**Stomp, stomp, stomp…** came the clanging sound of metal feet slamming onto the ground, toward the hapless little duck. Curiously he looked up, and found himself staring into two red lights for eyes.

Omega stared back. "Target confirmed: Bean the Duck, alias Bean the Dynamite. You are under arrest."

Bean let out a high pitched scream before taking off in a mad dash.

The hulking robot ran after him, extending its claws. "Cease and desist, small feathered creature."

Bean hid himself within the various concession stands, ready to open fire on the oncoming robot. First he tried a water pistol; all that did was irritate Omega. Then he tried throwing basketballs at him; Omega swatted them away and even managed to sink one into a bucket. "Yeah! Great shot!" cheered Bean before realizing, "Oh, wait…" Then he made chase again.

Omega took off after him and stopped, realizing that the target was missing. He went into X-ray mode. Once Omega's red eyes found their target, they confirmed a hollow skulled head was poking out of a hole in a large rectangular stand. Turns out it was a "Whack-A-Mole" game, with Bean as the honorary mole.

Ignoring the mallet on the game box's side, Omega used his fists to pound onto the duck, but Bean popped his head into the hole just before Omega's fists hit him. He then reappeared in the hole in the top left-hand corner and quacked, "Duck!" Omega pounded down again, and Bean's head reappeared in another hole: "Duck!" This went on for a little while longer, with Omega just missing his target and Bean shouting, "Duck… Duck… Duck…." Then at last, something else randomly popped out, something Omega should have expected: "BOMB!" shouted Bean from within the box. **Ba-boom! **Omega was temporarily stunned (and singed), letting Bean jump completely out of the game box and make chase again.

.

Meanwhile, the G.U.N. Commander and the few remaining soldiers stood just outside of the carnival gates, waiting for their chance to assess the damage. All they could hear were small explosions, each one making them cringe.

One soldier was monitoring Omega's actions on a computer monitor via link to Omega's own hard-drive, and was visibly frowning at the lack of progress on the robot's part. "Sir," gulped the soldier while his commander stared blankly at the mall's front doors. "Omega's been in there for nearly ten minutes now, and he's not even close to apprehending the suspect. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but… I think he needs backup."

The Commander frowned with disappointment and made a soft gruff. "Very well, then. Bring in the rookie."

The soldier glanced at the commander with a small look of shock, but nodded in reply. He waved to the giant black G.U.N. van, and its rear end's hatched opened up. From within, a pair of red eyes shimmered through the darkness, along with a matching red diamond-shaped light just beneath them.

..

..

_I hate carrots, Ms. Diarrhea. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY do. I probably wouldn't mind them so much if somebody gave them a chocolate flavor. Or at least gimmie a batch of chocolate to dip them in. Maybe I should just add salt._

_I saw a bug crawl up the wall today, aaaaaaalllll the way to the top, then it fell aaaaaalllllll the way down to the ground. I laughed for hours._

_Do you think I'd look good in a poncho? I asked Bark. He didn't gimmie a straight answer. Come to think of it, he didn't gimmie any answer. …in the last few years!_

_I'm thirsty, I want a soda. Not carrot-flavored. Definitely _not _carrot-flavored. _

…_..Wait, what was I writing about earlier? Oh yeah, the carnival! So yeah, back at the carnival, one of the big bot's friends showed up._

.

After underestimating the little duck more times than he would admit, Omega was soon damaged from bomb explosions. He wasn't beaten though, at least not in his mind. But the duck had led him straight to the water log ride, where the duckling was paddling across the river stream like a target in a shooting game. Omega shot a couple of bullets, but each time the duck was quick to… well, duck, and then come back up again in circular formation.

Now the robot was angry. "I will have to use full force." He grabbed ahold of the first log that came floating by, turned it over so that the seats were upside down, and flung it at Bean. It seemed to have worked; Bean's body was just beneath the log when it came down on him, and Omega was quick to pin it down so that the adversary could not escape.

"Target is subdued," said the monotonous machine.

He then carefully lifted the log to see if his adversary was alive, and to his surprise, there was nothing underneath the log except water. Then a familiar voice came from atop his head: "Target's over at Station Square. But there's a Macy's nearby."

Omega tilted his head upward; it was the duck! He quickly tried to grab him with his claws, but the feisty little bird was too fast and jumped out of the way. "Impossible," he uttered.

Bean landed onto the water log ride's main gate just two feet away and cheered, "Improbable! Inconceivable! Irreplaceable! _You must not know 'bout me, you must not know 'bo-_"

**Whiiiirrrrr…BOOM!**

Bean jumped out of the way just before a small missile came crashing down on him, blowing up the gate in the process. But this wasn't Omega's missile; it came from the opposite direction of him.

"Zounds! Zee game is afoot!" exclaimed the duck in surprise as he landed by Omega. "Quick, should I give it a hand instead?"

The dark figure that swept through the area was now perched on the rail of the second floor of the main hall. Despite having a green diamond in its center and gold lining on its body, its figure was hauntingly familiar, the figure of a hedgehog, except with glowing red eyes that looked downright evil.

Bean's jaw dropped in horror. "It's Spiky Blue Porcu-Chidna-Hog!"

If he could, Metal Sonic Version 2.5 would have raised his eyebrow. Instead he replied with a smirk: "I prefer the name, 'Shard.'"

Not caring what this new robot liked to call himself, Bean sped off in fright.

"You!" buzzed Omega at his rescuer. "I was informed that you were still in the training program."

In Sonic's snarky tone, Shard replied, "Training's for babies. Besides, you look like you could use all the help you can get, ol' man."

Omega's eyes flashed and he flexed his scrawny arm ligaments. "I am neither 'old,' nor a 'man.' I am a fully automated wrecking machine."

"Then I guess that makes me the cleanup crew. 'Scuse me while I go pluck a duck."

Unlike Omega, Shard could fly by using boosters in his shoe-like feet, and because he was designed to compete with Sonic, he was catching up with Bean at every turn, ready with his arm cannon.

At one point, he was even on top of the helpless little duck and grinned, "How would you like your goose cooked today, sir?"

Suddenly a metal claw seized his cannon hand. It was Omega, still brimming with jealousy. "Stand down, Rookie. This mission was appointed to me."

This gave Bean time to make chase yet again.

"And a lotta good _you_ did," snapped back the metallic hedgehog, as his eyes and chest gem changed color from red to green. He tried to pull back his arm, but Omega tugged at it, putting the two robots in a conflict of both muscle and wills. "I was on a roll just now, why're you stopping me?"

"You are not yet fully realized as a weapon/agent of G.U.N. Only authorized personnel can apprehend a criminal."

While the robots were playing Tug O' War, Bean was tiptoeing his way to freedom.

"I'm authorized enough, old mode. When did they upload 'Whiny Baby' in your program?"

"When did G.U.N. start recruiting Metal Sonic rejects?"

"Does the Commander know about your little hissy fits?"

"Does Megaman know you stole his Mega Buster?"

Enraged, Shard gave Omega a shove strong enough to push himself free of the bigger robot's grip. "Gah, that's it! I officially hate you now! Wait. Lemmie put that in my main database….. Done. You're now on my Hate List."

"I am honored," replied Omega, as sarcastically-sounding as a robot like him could sound.

"_Is ANYONE going to catch that duck!?"_ shouted the voice of the Commander from the walkie-talkie embedded in Omega's left wrist.

The two robots paused in stunned silence before Shard finally sighed, "Okay big guy, you and me need to team up for real this time." He extended his claw in friendship. "Truce?"

Omega made a deep buzzing noise before clasping Shard's hand. "Truce. Temporarily."

.

Together the robots cornered Bean at the park's tallest and longest roller-coaster ride, the same one that would be the battlefield between Sonic, Tails and the one true Metal Sonic in another adventure. Bean jumped into an open cart while the robots- Shard carrying Omega- pushed themselves along the track like their own coaster. Shard picked up the pace until the team came to a slope, then they allowed gravity to do the hard work. Once they came to Bean's cart, the real fight began.

Omega fired his bullets, but the duck was too fast at dodging them. Then Bean fired back with his magic bombs. Each time he missed, he created a crater in the track, something Sonic and Tails would have to be aware of in their own robot chase.

At one point, Bean even pulled out a very big bomb, but instead of igniting it he slammed it onto Omega's head in an attempt to dent him while yelling, "You must be THIS tall to ride the coaster!"

Omega took the first two hits, but then he grabbed ahold of the bomb. Bean then dared to ignite it, and once he did the two forces started to push the bomb back and forth at each other like a reverse tug-o-war game.

"Here, you take it!" demanded Bean.

"I do not want it," replied Omega.

"I insist, it's a present!"

"I do not accept."

"It's your bomb!"

"It is your bomb."

"_Your _bomb!"

"Your bomb!"

"YOUR bomb!"

Then it hit Omega. "…It is_ my_ bomb."

Bean pulled it back. "No, it's MY bomb!"

"It is mine."

"No, mine!"

"Mine."

"MINE!" With all his might, the little duck regained a hold of the large black orb and declared, "It's MY bomb, and it's MY present! You can't have it!"

Omega gave Shard a small nod, and he replied, "You are correct, small annoying creature. You may keep the bomb."

Shard slowed down, pulling Omega back so that the two of them would be far enough from the impending explosion. Bean meanwhile hugged and nuzzled his prize, until the last two seconds of his detonation when he realized his mistake. "Oh…"

**KA-BOOOOOM!**

Whatever was left of Bean went shooting off like a rocket into the horizon.

.

Shard and Omega returned to their Commander at the front of the park, both looking beaten but feeling victorious. They both saluted the Commander; "Mission accomplished, Commander," rejoiced the monotonous Omega. "The culprit has been dealt with, and the park is now secure."

"Well done, you two," smiled the grey-haired Commander. "I take it this means you've caught the suspect?"

That's when Omega and Shard felt like the biggest goof-ups on the planet.

..

..

From his home, a soot-covered Bean finished the last entry of his diary:

_So I didn't get my Sonic plushie after all, but that's okay. I did get a fun ride around the amusement park, and I've had a lot of fun with my two new best friends. Next year, I want a pony for my birthday. I hear they give free rides in Spagonia._

_Love your ever faithful husband,_

_Beanjamin Dynamo Duckingtonworth IV, Jr._

_P.S.: Chocolate doesn't work on carrots after all._

.

**END**


	128. Everything Wrong With Sonic '06

_**To **_**bearvalley3365:**

_Thank you for your reviews and for sticking with this series. However, since there is no way for me to speak to you privately, I'll have to respond to your requests within this domain._

_I'm sorry, but I have to decline your request for the two characters you want to see in the Drabbles. They seem like interesting characters; but I've never before heard of them, which brings me to believe that they are OCs (original- fan made- characters). I have yet to do a Drabble for fan-made characters, and I'm afraid that if I start to, I'll get tons upon tons of requests for people's fan-chars, which I fear will ultimately take time away from the original SEGA/Archie cast. I just don't have the energy to handle so many OCs at the time, and I don't want to steer too far away from Sonic and his pals. So please, don't take this the wrong way, but I just can't take in __Noah Raymond Thompson and Spencer Timothy Metzner. I hope you'll understand._

_._

_The following Drabble is heavily inspired by "CinemaSins" on You Tube. Check it out, why don'tcha?_

..

"**EVERYTHING WRONG WITH SONIC '06**

**(IN ONE DRABBLE OR LESS)"**

**(Spoilers!)**

**(Duh!)**

**.**

**SONIC CAMPAIGN**

Opening cinematic shows us the city of Soleanna with Princess Elise lighting some kind of Olympic torch structure.

**1. Whoops! I must have accidentally turned on a **_**"Final Fantasy"**_** game. Everything looks so real!**

The ceremony is cut short by the sudden appearance of Eggman and his robots…

**2. Damn, Eggman! You lost weight!**

Enter our hero in a blue whirlwind, followed by some smooth fighting animations that we'll never get to experience in the actual game.

**3. **_**"Final Fantasy"**_** backdrop ruined by a cartoony anthromorphic hedgehog.**

"_I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog!"_

**4. (And I'm going to totally rip off Mario now by rescuing a princess.)**

As Sonic takes off with Elise in his arms, we see a silvery hedgehog with bizarre bangs looking on from a rooftop.

"_I've finally found him- The Iblis Trigger!"_

**5. Hello, new Sonic character. I'm sure you won't steal the show from our main hero in any way possible.**

**Five sins in the first scene alone? We're off to a great start.**

.

Eggman is getting away with Elise in his robot's grasp. She throws her chaos emerald to Sonic, who says the following:

**6.** "Don't worry, I'll rescue you!" **(What's stopping you now?)**

**7. We get to the hub world, and suddenly it's daytime!**

**8. In previous games, Sonic practically got all of his abilities for free. Here, even the Light Speed Dash is costly.**

**9. Insert rant about the game's glitches here,**

**10. Here,**

**11. Here, **

**12. Here, **

**13. Here, **

**14. And here.**

**15. …..Okay, one more for good measure.**

**16. No save point until after the first stage, which means if we get a Game Over, we'll have to sit through sins 1 through 13 again, totaling 29 sins already. …How long is this game again?**

After risking his neck during the Mach Speed section of Wave Oceaqn, Sonic STILL manages to lose the Egg Carrier. Tails observes this and says, "It looks like Eggman is taking the priness to another location."

**30. I already made the Mario connection, Tails.**

.

**31. Side quests include playing Hide-And-Seek with children, guessing numbers, guessing guards, jumping through hoops, and leading a dog to its owner… Wasn't there a princess in need of saving somewhere in there?**

.

After rescuing Elise for the third (or fourth) time, we see Sonic and the princess running like crazy in a grass field. This is somehow supposed to be romantic.

A butterfly lands on Sonic's nose, and he just stands there and stares at it.

**32. If here were a real hedgehog, that butterfly would have been lunch.**

.

We then cut to the infamous battle between Sonic and Silver, from our hero's point of view. Suddenly, Silver catches Sonic in what seems to be an infinite loop.

**33.**_ "How about this? It's no use! Take this! It's no use! Take this! It's no use! Take this! It's no use!"_ **(Oh my God, shut up.)**

.

Cut to later when we meet Knuckles in the middle of a (mildly) secured facility.

**34. Knuckles is here… for some reason.**

Apparently he is here to relay a message from Eggman, who was too lazy to send the message to Sonic himself. And he does it through a holographic card. Dan Green must be so proud.

.

Eggman traps the heroes in a time portal machine, and watches them fail at escaping it.

**35. **_"It's no use," _brags Eggman. (**Hmm. That sounds familiar.)**

**36. **_"With this [Solaris Prototype], I'll have complete control of time itself!" _Later he adds, _"Who knows where they'll end up? It could be the distant past or far future." _**(I thought you just said you had complete control. Make up your mind, Eggman!)**

.

In the far future, we find our heroes with Shadow and Rouge, all sent to the exact same point of time by their enemies. Convenient, much?

While typing away at an ancient computer, which SOMEHOW still works, Tails deducts just how much time has passed since their loop through time.

**37.** _"This is terrible!" _exclaims Tails. **(You said it, kid.)**

.

Our heroes eventually find a Chaos Emerald floating in the air. Rouge cheers, "I've found a Chaos Emerald," as she reaches out to grab it.

***Enter MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" riff here***

**38.** Shadow: _"Don't touch it!"_

.

Back in the present, Princess Elise is on board one of Eggman's boss robots and figures she should fall backward, seemingly to her death, while hoping beyond all hope that Sonic will catch her.

**39. It's good to know the fate of our world rests in the hands of a princess who's willing to risk dying and unleashing Iblis on us all.**

Sonic does indeed save her. Again, convenient!

.

Our "lovely couple" takes time off from running for their lives to enjoy a beautiful scene by a cherry blossom tree and a lake. Suddenly, Elise remembers being a child and remembering her father's words:

**40. **_"Whatever happens, Elise, you mustn't cry."_** I call bullsh*t here. She's a woman. Women cry. This Iblis Trigger thing should happen the moment she stubs her toe.**

.

Later on, Sonic must save Elise…. again…. But first he must get to Kingdom Valley, which he can't access unless he passes three completely stupid trials brought on by priests. He then passes the tests and is carried by a giant eagle toward Kingdom Valley's gate. And lo and behold, Tails was there the whole time waiting for him.

**41. Sonic has to complete three trials to ride an eagle to carry him to Kingdom Valley. …WHY DIDN'T HE JUST USE TAILS?**

.

Sonic, now accompanied by Blaze and Silver- oh hey Blaze, when did you get here?- rushes to try and catch up to the Egg Carrier. Unfortunately, it crashes into a mountain, yet we see no flames. We only hear a big "Boom" and assume the Egg Carrier crashed.

Sonic, grief-stricken, cries out, _"Elise!"_

**42. There's no visible crash, yet Sonic's face is lit by red flare.**

.

With Silver's help, Sonic travels back to the moment before the Egg Carrier crashes to save the princess…. But then Eggman has the strong urge to whip out his Egg Dragoon.

**43. Yeah, we'll save the princess, but first let's have a Boss Battle. I'm sure we have plenty of time before the inevitable crash.**

.

Sonic and Elise just barely survive the crash and roll onto the top of the mountain. No bones are broken, even though they obviously take a rather hard tumble. Relieved to be alive, the two of them begin to laugh. Jason Griffin's forced laugh here is just…. creepy.

**44. This laugh.**

..

..

**SHADOW CAMPAIGN**

Sometime before the main storyline, we find Shadow infiltrating Eggman's base. As it turns out, Rouge was captured prior to the start of the game and now Shadow has to save her. He bypasses Eggman robots with ease, even so much as skating through them in a breath of fire.

**45. Bullsh*t! He can't do that in the game!**

While still in White Acropolis, Shadow finds a parked jeep that fits him like a glove.

**46. Gee, it was really nice of Eggman to let G.U.N. park all these vehicles around his base.**

.

After rescuing Rouge, Shadow learns that she stole an artifact from Eggman called the Scepter of Darkness. Eggman tries to steal it back, by having one of his robots knock Rouge unconscious. Both she and the scepter fall- Shadow catches his partner, but the scepter is shattered. Suddenly, Eggman's robots go into spaz mode, making him cry out, _"It's no use! Pull back, pull back!"_

**47. It's official: Silver and Eggman are one in the same.**

.

The creature sealed by the scepter is none other than Mephiles the Dark, who sends Shadow and Rouge to the far future in order to get them out of his way… Oddly enough, his portal matches the exact same one Eggman used on Sonic and friends, making both teams meet up at the exact same point of time.

**48. Time travel is a b*tch.**

In Crisis City, Shadow is able to get through some sections through means of a conveniently parked jeep and even a jet glider.

**49. Oh, look! More conveniently-placed G.U.N. vehicles.**

Shadow hang-glides. Enter Shadow759's quote, "Behold Doctor, I can FLY!"

.

Still in Crisis City, Shadow and Rouge find their friend Omega rusted and covered in dust by the side of a road. They realize that he's not dead, but in Standby Mode.

**50. According to this game's plot, Omega is shut down and stays in the Tropical Jungle for over 200 years just to aid Shadow in the distant future. Wouldn't G.U.N. get worried and look for him?**

**51. Also, Omega was found in Crisis City earlier in the campaign, so are we to assume that Crisis City is what Tropical Jungle will turn into within 200 years?**

.

After Rouge follows the portal back to the present, Shadow stays behind to fight Mephiles, who tells him that he will be persecuted by mankind. Shadow, being smart, doesn't fall for Mephiles' plan to make him turn on humanity and challenges him to a fight, when suddenly bullets hail between them. Both of them look on, and see that Omega is awake.

"_Now is the designated time. I shall assist."_

**52. By missing your target completely?**

.

Now back in her time, Rouge meets up with her friends when she suddenly gets a call from G.U.N. We have to assume she's talking to a wristwatch communicator, but all we see is her white glove.

**53. Rouge talks to G.U.N. HQ through her G-L-O-V-E.**

.

Shadow confronts Silver at Radical Train, after Silver tries once again to kill Sonic. It's unclear who wins this fight; all we know for certain is that afterwards, Shadow uses Chaos Control to slow down time just so he can whip past Silver and kick him in the back of the head.

**This is not a sin. I just like watching this part.**

Enraged, Silver pulls out his blue Chaos emerald and tries to use Chaos Control on Shadow. All this does is open a new time portal, much to Shadow's surprise.

"_You've just induced… Chaos Control!"_

**54. "I'm suddenly not cool anymore."**

.

Shadow and Silver take the opportunity to use the new time portal to go back ten years in the past, when Solaris was first created by Soleanna's king. There, we find out that some kind of malfunction caused Solaris to split into two entities: Iblis, and Mephiles. The hedgehogs split up to track each entity and seal it forever.

**55. I'm sorry, but wasn't this game called "Sonic The Hedgehog?" Why are the OTHER hedgehogs unveiling the main elements of the plot?**

.

Following Shadow's path, we see him find Mephiles in smoke form and seals him in the Scepter of Darkness.

"_Who… Who are you?"_

"_I am Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog."_

"_Shadow. Your face… Your form… I will remember…"_

**56. Mephiles is a cosplayer.**

.

At this point, we don't really know if Silver completed his task in sealing Iblis, but he tells us he did and so we are forced to believe him. While Silver carries young Elise outside and leaves her by a tree, we see Shadow leave the Scepter of Darkness by her side.

**57. We need to keep this scepter from ever breaking and unleashing Mephiles. How 'bout we leave it to the little girl that just lost her father? Yeah, that works.**

Regarding the scepter's fate, Shadow says, _"I already know what becomes of it in the future."_

**58.** **Meaning, "There's no point in trying to change history." THEN WHY DID YOU EVEN COME BACK HERE?**

.

Reunited once again in the present, Shadow and Rouge look for Omega in the city's square, when the following message from G.U.N. comes in:

"_Agent Shadow, E123 Omega has engaged Mephiles. Head to the Wave Ocea- head _to_ Wave Ocean…. Agent Shadow, E123 Omega has engaged Mephiles. Head to Wave Ocean immediately."_

**59. Yes, this actually happened.**

.

Shadow and Rouge find Omega battling Mephiles in the Wave Ocean- I mean, just Wave Ocean. Though he can't be defeated by mere bullets, Mephiles makes a run for it, but first he gives Omega a hint that he's the one who captures Shadow in the near future.

**60.**_ "Shadow… The one who defeats and seals you in the future… is me."_ **(How is that possible? You were in Standby Mode, FOR TWO-HUNDRED YEARS! Unless YOU-you from the future time is the one who sealed him, in that case you now know you shouldn't, which would then nullify Shadow's capture from ever happening…. [BLEEP] TIME TRAVEL!)**

.

Tracking Mephiles down in Dusty Desert, Team Dark is confronted by an army of Mephiles clones. Having no other options, Shadow takes off his arm bands to unleash his ultimate power…

**61. Oh, great. Now **_**"Sonic X"**_** is canon. **

..

..

**SILVER CAMPAIGN**

In his timeline, Silver sadly looks over the burning ruins of Crisis City, when his best friend- a certain lavender pyro-kinetic cat- jumps into the scene to alert him of Iblis' latest appearance.

**62. Oh hi, Blaze. I'm sure your presence here will be explained and it won't confuse the fans at all.**

.

Suddenly after chasing off Iblis, Blaze and Silver meet a spooky-looking clone of Shadow calling himself Mephiles.

"_In order to change the past, you must eliminate the individual who has awakened Iblis: The Iblis Trigger."_

**63. No, no. Just, no. Clearly, he wants Sonic dead so that Elise will cry, but instead of killing Sonic himself he sends this idiot from the future to do it from him. **

**64. Worse than that, he is clearly in a time period when he can fuse himself with Iblis anytime he wants, but for some reason he wants to go to the time when Elise cried. Laziest villain ever.**

Silver pauses for a moment before asking, _"If I eliminate that guy, will our world be saved?"_

**65. He has no mouth, Dan Green's voice and green cat-like eyes. Yeah, I can see why you would trust him, Silver.**

.

We repeat the moment from the opening cinematic where Silver first sees Sonic while he rescues Princess Elise for the first time. He is about to follow Sonic, when suddenly a pink female hedgehog tackles him with a hug, calling him Sonic.

**66. Amy is an idiot.**

.

Amy begins to completely waste Silver's time in Dust Valley, both looking for Sonic although they're not completely aware of it.

While we have control of Amy, we learn that she can somehow turn invisible.

**67. This skill makes no sense. Hedgehogs are not known to use camouflage of any kind- in reality, **_**or**_** in the Sonic series.**

**68. Also, while she's invisible, Amy still casts a shadow.**

And then we get to possibly the worst part of the game: Silver's ball puzzle in which he must use telekinesis to push a giant numbered ball into a hole before the numbers reach 0.

**69. This puzzle. Times ten = 79.**

.

Silver and Amy go their separate ways for a while.

Amy somehow winds up in one of Eggman's bases, where she finds Princess Elise. The two of them escape together and wind up back in the town square. As Amy starts to spew girly nonsense about true love, her eyes are supposed to twinkle; but thanks to lazy animators, her entire face sparkles.

**80. IT'S A VAMPIRE! KILL IT!**

.

We go back to the battle between Sonic and Silver, this time through Silver's POV. He is clearly overpowered, as tables and chairs are available to be used as weapons against a defenseless blue hedgehog.

**81. I'm beating the crap out of our main hero. This just feels wrong.**

Out of nowhere, Amy runs in and saves Sonic. As the blue hedgehog escapes, Silver tries to warn the pink one that Sonic is responsible for the end of the world. To which, Amy says the following:

"_Even if that were true, if I had to choose between the world and Sonic… I would choose Sonic!"_

**82. Silver's face says it all right here: O.o**

.

After Amy risks her life to save Elise, the princess walks all the way back to her castle, where Eggman and his robots are waiting for her.

**83. If you're wondering where the guards are, they're playing guessing games with Sonic in the town's square right now.**

.

Following Silver again, we see him in Radical Train where he catches up with Sonic and the recently re-rescued Elise. Shadow intervenes and begins to fight Silver, using all of his chaos-induced abilities.

**84. Hmm. This guy can teleport and fly… I think I'll throw a barrel at him!**

Silver proceeds to throw barrels at Shadow through his telekinesis,,, and somehow wins.

…But then he gets kicked in the head.

**Still my favorite moment.**

.

After they open a time portal, we once again see Shadow and Silver go back ten years to when Solaris was split into two entities. We now follow Silver on his path to seal Iblis. Here, Silver finally learns that it's Princess Elise is the Iblis Trigger and not Sonic.

Elise's dying father uses a Chaos Emerald to seal Iblis inside his daughter, which can only be released by her tears.

**85. For some reason, only those of royal blood can be possessed by Iblis. Huh. Ain't that a kooinky-dink?**

**86. You mean to tell me she didn't cry when she found out her father died? What an ice queen.**

.

Outside of the old castle, Silver carries an unconscious Elise in his arms while Shadow comes out with the Scepter of Darkness, now with Mehiles trapped inside.

**87. Elise was unconscious the entire time she was with Silver, making her flashback of him in the opening cinematic completely pointless.**

Silver hands Elise the blue Chaos Emerald, for some unknown reason, before going back to the present with Shadow.

**88. So, let's be clear: Silver found the blue Chaos Emerald in White Acropolis, then gave the Chaos Emerald to young Elise, who gives it to Sonic when she's older. That means that somewhere during this timeline, there are two copies of the same emerald floating around. Emerald-ception!**

"_We'll have to go deeper."_

.

After the Egg Carrier crashes (the first time), Silver and Sonic open a time portal. Sonic uses it to travel back to the moment before the Egg Carrier crashed, while Silver and Blaze use it to travel back to their future time. There, they confront Iblis one last time.

**89. If Silver knows that Sonic will save the future by protecting Elise, then why does he still have to defeat Iblis in his own timeline? Is it because she dies regardless of Sonic's interference? That's just depressing. Oh well, we know this can't be canon anyway; we have a Final Story after all.**

.

Silver realizes that he can't seal Iblis within himself. Blaze steps up to the plate, for possibly two reasons: A., she's pyrokinetic, and B., she's of royal blood in her own right. HA! Forgot she was a princess, didn'tcha?

Silver says he doesn't have the heart to seal his friend away, to which she replies, _"You're so naive."_

**90. Says the character that blindly followed this idiot around the whole game.**

.

Blaze makes her sacrifice, seemingly on her way to the alternate dimension seen in the _"Sonic Rush"_ games. At least, that's what I think is happening.

"_Good luck, Silver."_

**91. Bye, Blaze. We'll see you in the next **_**"Sonic Rush"**_** game….. Oh, wait…**

..

..

**FINAL STORY**

**92. Ah, you thought it was over, didn't you?**

.

We find out that despite his _"Sonic X"_ moment, Shadow was unable to defeat Mephiles and reseal him in the Scepter of Darkness. Mephiles then proceeds to do the one thing a smarter villain would have done by now: killing Sonic, the one true friend Elise ever had, thus making her cry out in grief.

**93. "It's 2006, the fifteenth anniversary of **_**Sonic The Hedgehog**_**. How should we celebrate? I know: LET'S KILL HIM!" -SEGA**

Sonic is killed while being distracted by a spark of purple light caused by Mephiles, who stabs him in the back. In a later game, Sonic says, _"Experience has taught me to investigate anything that glows."_

**94. Wait, I thought that's what killed you.**

.

**95. After Iblis and Mephiles merge to become Solaris, the god disrupts all time and space, sending everyone in Limbo… except for Blaze.**

"_I'll destroy [past, present and future Solaris] all at once!"_ declares Silver.

Shadow looks over to Sonic's dead body and laments, _"Certainly it might have been possible, if_ he _was still alive."_

**96. Uh, you do know you do have Tails and Knuckles, right? Both of them were able to go Super and Hyper in previous games.**

Princess Elise senses Sonic's presence "in the wind," saying, _"I don't think he's dead yet!"_

**97. I dunno, he looks pretty dead to me.**

The heroes realize that the gathering of Chaos Emeralds will bring him back. The heroes agree to go find the emeralds, but Knuckles must first go the wrong way before following the others.

**98. Nice to see they went out of their way to assure the audience that Knuckles is, indeed, an idiot.**

"SHUT UP!"

.

After the emeralds are gathered and brought to Sonic, Elise makes the wish for him to come back to life. Even though the emeralds are already activated and levitating his body, Elise still feels the need to wake Sonic up by a kiss, ala Sleeping Beauty.

**99. Congratulations, Sonic Team, you've managed to creep out and disgust every single fan in this moment, including the furry community.**

Sonic awakes in Super form, and somehow he already knows what's going on and what to do. He then nods to Shadow and Silver, silently telling them to join hands and turn into their Super forms.

**100. Yeah, while we're at it, let's give the new guy a Super form even though it was never implied he had one until now. Are we purposely trying to make this a Silver game?**

.

During the final battle, Solaris turns into a winged creature that closely resembles the emblem on Link's shield.

**101. Miyamoto must be pissed.**

.

After Solaris' defeat, only Elise and Sonic are whisked back in time when this whole mess began.

**102. Wait, there were three heroes, weren't there? Now all of a sudden we're giving special privileges to the title character?**

Elise's father tells her as a child that he had good intentions with the flames of Solaris, claiming he would use time travel to correct past mistakes. Elise's immediate reaction to this is, _"Will we see momma again?"_

**103. Oh, it's all about YOU, isn't it? Who do you think you are; some kind of princess?**

Elise realizes that if she blows out the flame of Solaris, she will never have met Sonic. _"Our encounter will never have happened."_

**That's a good thing!**

**104.** In a final act of sadness and desperation, Elise cries out, _"I don't care what happens to the world!"_

Sonic tells her to smile, which is all he says. Somehow, it gives her the courage to do what she has to do.

**105. Elise nullifies the events of "Sonic '06," making our entire adventure a complete and utter waste of time.**

We then see the opening cinematic again, only this time Eggman isn't out to capture the princess or her Flames of Disaster.

Sonic still feels the need to visit Soleanna though, watching the feather from Elise's headpiece fly off from her and soar into the sky. He sees the moon in its full glory.

**106. That moon should have a giant gap in it.**

..

..

**SIN TOTAL: 106 (Not counting any Bonus Sins from the game's glitches)**

**SENTENCE: A fight with Silver**

"_It's no use!"_


	129. Think Outside The Box: Sonic 1

_It's an old joke, but a good one._

..

"**THINK**** OUTSIDE THE BOX"**

**A Random Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**.**

**Green Hill Zone.**

It was 4 pm; his favorite show was coming on. With the one wheel he had for transportation, the little Motobug rolled across the field to his coveted little television box. And sure enough, his show appeared as it always had: Gold Ring.

He could stare at the monitor for hours, mesmerized by the ring's brilliance. Never once did it occur to him that this image was merely a symbol for an even better prize hidden inside what he assumed was a television set. But then, on this fateful afternoon, his friend the Buzz Bomber fluttered by.

"Hey, whatcha watchin' there?" he hummed.

"Shh!" shushed the Motobug. "This is my favorite show."

"Ooh." Intrigued, the Buzz Bomber hovered by his companion's side and began to stare at the Gold Ring in the monitor until his eyes began to hurt. "…This is boring," he moaned. "What else is on?"

As he asked this, the Buzz Bomber floated over to the television and with his mandibles he reached down to a small button near the bottom of the box. As he pushed the button, new images began to appear in the monitor: A red shoe, A silhouette of a blue hedgehog's head, a green orb, a swirl of white stars, then a golden ring again, and the cycle began to spin faster and faster as the Buzz Bomber continued to flick the button.

"Hey!" cried the Motobug. "Stop that! I was watching that!" But his friend ignored him.

But then, the Buzz Bomber's interference came to an abrupt halt, when a new image appeared on the screen. "Oh, look! The boss is on!" cheered the Buzz Bomber.

"Oh?" chirped his friend as he noticed Doctor Robotnik's face on TV. "I didn't know he had his own show."

As the two of them began to stare blankly at the image on the screen, they almost didn't notice the flash of blue fur tearing across the plain and plummeting itself straight into the grey box.

_**Bloop!**_

Having no Rings prior to opening the Robotnik box, Sonic had sealed his own fate and passed out on the ground, face first.

"Huh," said the displeased Buzz Bomber. "Serves him right."

**.**

**END**


	130. A Higher Calling: Mighty Armadillo

_._

_This next Drabble is meant to be a prelude- one of two- to an upcoming fanfic project of mine, featuring characters from all sorts of video game mythos. One of Sonic's own will be involved, so here's his moment in the sun before being launched into the fray entitled, _"The Redemption Squad." _Enjoy._

_P.S.: For the other prelude, which is chronologically set before this one, check out my three-part Mega Man fanfic, _"Level Zero.*" _(*Currently in-progress)_

..

"**A HIGHER CALLING"**

**A Mighty Armadillo Drabble**

**By Snodin**

**Set in the alternate universe fanfic,**_** "The Redemption Squad"**_

.

Fame has a funny way of effecting people. Some embrace it, some are changed by it, and then there's Mighty the Armadillo, who seems to fear it.

Born and raised on South Island along with Sonic the Hedgehog and their mutual friend Ray the Flying Squirrel, Mighty was taught from an early age to use his natural gift of super strength to help others in need. But he never thought that such good deeds would land him his own fanbase.

"Hey!" random people would say, "You're Mighty the Armadillo, right? Can I have your autograph? What's it like to be friends with Sonic? Can you go super-fast like him? Can you spin-dash? Show me!" These comments started out innocent enough, but they only grew when word spread that he had joined the Chaotix, a group of heroes for hire first appointed on Angel Island. From there, Mighty's fame had sky-rocketed, and he couldn't find a moment's peace as a result.

What no one knew or understood, was that despite his invincible exterior, Mighty was rather soft on the inside. Having people follow him around with nagging questions about Sonic or Knuckles and begging for him to do amazing feats with his strength truly bothered him. It was only a matter of time before he had enough, broke his ties with the Chaotix, and went about exploring the wilderness in obscurity, away from his adoring fans.

Yet even then, in his humble and quiet and peaceful seclusion, peace wouldn't last forever.

…

…

Mighty was clever, in that he waited years before returning to civilization again. By then his reputation had all but diminished into myth; some had even disregarded him as a rumor or a fable tacked on to the growing stories of the true hero of Mobius, Sonic the Hedgehog. "Was there ever a red armadillo?" "No," some would respond; "you're thinking of the red echidna." Or, "Whatever happened to that red guy in the Chaotix?" "I have no idea who you're talking about."

These were just the kind of responses Mighty was hoping for when at long last he returned to Green Hill Zone, one of the more populous of regions on South Island. Surely by now he would be left alone to reunite with his true friends, whom he had hoped hadn't forgotten about him.

.

In a quiet little restaurant with a bar and grill, Mighty kicked back and helped himself to the local food. Sitting peacefully at the bar, he relished in the fact that no one seemed to recognize him, and therefore would eat and drink in blissful obscurity.

That's when **he **showed up.

Entering the bar and grill, shoeless and shameless, was an anthromorphic hare with lime green fur. His forehead was draped with a red bandana, and strapped to his back with red lace was a blue backpack for his various weapons. The only other coverings he had were bright orange arm cuffs. His underbelly, as well as his muzzle, was a paler green, and his cartoony eyes were bright blue. He looked like he had jumped straight out of a comic strip; but again, this was a common appearance to this world, so he didn't exactly stand out.

The green guy sat himself on the barstool right next to Mighty's, as if he intended on ruining the armadillo's moment of peace. At first, there was a wall of silence between them; the hare's blue eyes fixed on Mighty once in a while, but Mighty didn't acknowledge it. But it wasn't long before the hare's subtlety wore off.

"Hey. You're Mighty, right?"

"…Sure I am," joked the red-shelled armadillo. "Mighty thirsty." With that, he gulped down the last of his milkshake. (What, did you think he was drinking alcohol? For shame, Reader!)

"Naw, naw, naw," shook the jackrabbit's head. "You're that guy- that Chaotic guy, am I right?"

"They're called The Chaotix… And no, I don't work with them anymore." Mighty wasn't willing to give himself away so easily, but he wasn't a liar either- much to the relief of this long-eared stranger.

"Ah… So what happened? They kick you out?"

"I left on my own accord… I like to travel, and I don't like getting paid for m heroics." His tone of voice gave off a hint of displeasure, as if there was tension between him and his former allies.

"I see," mused the green hare. "…So, you're telling me you'd rather be like a superhero and not get any credit for saving the world?"

Mighty's eyes turned to the stranger uneasily. "I never said I was a superhero. I just do what's right, and that's that."

The green hare smiled. "That's just the kind of guy I'm looking for."

"What are you, some kind of career agent?"

"Nope… Well, you could say I'm a Special Agent. Name's Jazz, Jazz Jackrabbit. I'm not from around here; in fact, I'm not even from this planet. See, I'm part of this inter-dimensional agency; we call it 'The Redemption Squad.'"

Mighty couldn't help but chuckle. He thought the hare was kidding.

"I know, I know, the name needs work. But basically, we travel to different worlds and dimensions to make everything right in the universe. All we need are a couple of strong, brave souls who don't mind risking their necks for the little people and get little to no credit for it."

Feeling a turn in his stomach and a crawl in his skin, Mighty leaned back and prepared for a retreat. "Look mister, the joke was funny at first, but now you're just talking crazy."

"Yeah, I know; it makes no sense. But trust me; I came all this way from one galaxy to another, just to talk to the famous Mighty Armadillo."

Mighty gasped; he was famous in various _galaxies_?

Jazz went on. "My team's small, and we need all the help we can get. Now we know there's a whole bunch of heroes on this particular planet-"

"Then why not hire them?" Mighty was quick to ask. "Why settle for me?"

"You said it yourself," Jazz explained. "You said you'd do the right thing no matter what. This world's already got enough superheroes; we need someone who's not afraid to move on and see the bigger picture."

"Okay," huffed Mighty as he reached into his shell to pull out a tip for the bartender. "I've just about had enough of this. If it's an autograph you want, or a picture, then fine. But don't insult my intelligence." And with that, the red-shelled armadillo stormed off, hoping against all hope that the jackrabbit wouldn't stalk him.

Jazz sat at the table to contemplate his actions. "Hmm… I guess I came on too strong."

"_I'd say so, Commander,"_ came a boyish voice from the jackrabbit's communicator disguised as a wristband.

"And just how long have you been on the line?" asked the disapproving green hare to his wristband.

"_Sorry,"_ apologized the small voice. _"I just thought you might need me… So, I take it this was a failure, sir?"_

"Hang in there Rocky," replied the jackrabbit. "We came all this way; we're not just gonna let this guy walk out on us."

..

..

Sometimes, the stars align just right for fate to run its course. That very next day, while Mighty was still in town and Jazz was looking for his latest recruit, Doctor Eggman decided to attack Green Hill Zone.

A chorus of horrified screams rang out as critters of all shapes and sizes ran in terror from Eggman's giant humanoid robots called Egg-Pawns. Their mission: round up as many animals as possible to be used to power up the mad doctor's latest weapons of war. All the while, the mad doctor himself stood watch in a mechanized version of himself that stood eight feet tall, taller than any creature alive.

Sitting comfortably in the cockpit of his mech, Eggman twiddled his fingers impatiently. "Hurry up and round up those rodents!" he barked at his Egg-Pawns. "It won't be long before that meddling hedgehog shows up to ruin my plans! Pick up the pace, you slugs!"

But just as he feared, someone did indeed march into the scene to cause trouble. But it wasn't Sonic; it was Mighty. The armadillo sized up the ten Egg-Pawns before even noticing the giant mech in the distance. He cracked his knuckles and tucked into a ball to perform a Spin-Dash. Like a bowling ball to a line of pins, he rolled straight into three of the pawns with ease.

"Gah!" gasped the mad scientist as he grasped his bald head in shock. "It's that armadillo: Meaty! No, wait… Manny? Mutley?"

_Tap-tap-tap_, went a gloved finger on the glass window of the mech's eye. Eggman looked up, and saw that the armadillo had scaled the mech just to correct the mad doctor: "It's Mighty!"

"YAH!" yipped Eggman before grabbing his steering gears.

The mech's spiky claws swung at the armadillo like he was a fly, but he proved too fast and agile to be swatted. The claws darted outward, but all they managed to flatten was the grass on the hill.

..

As Mighty proceeded to taunt Eggman's mech, both he and the villainous doctor were unaware that they were being watched. Hovering in the air was an invisible spacecraft, in which two figures were observing the scene.

"_Wow! See that? Didn't I say this guy had guts?"_

"_You sure did, Commander."_

"_Look at 'im go! He's like… a walking tank!"_

"_Should we help him?"_

"_Not just yet, Rock… I think he's handling himself pretty well."_

..

After toppling one Egg-Pawn after another, Mighty's confidence began to skyrocket. He picked up one pawn by its foot, despite it being three times heavier than he seemed to be, and tossed it into the nearest robot, knocking them both out of commission. That was the last of the pawns; now he set his eyes on Eggman himself.

Up until now, Eggman was holding back. Now that he knew that he was up against a Power-type critter, he unleashed the missiles hiding within his mech's chest area. Throwing caution to the wind, he let his missiles and mech gauntlets fly in every direction, hoping that _something_ would hit the armadillo. And eventually, something did.

**BOOM!**

Mighty was flung off his feet by the shockwave of a missile, and he fell to the ground stunned. Before he could recover, **WHAM!** Eggman's mech landed right on top of him. Being caught off guard, Mighty found himself halfway buried in the earth. But being a burrower by nature, he was quick to dig his way out. But the last two attacks left him both winded and disoriented. Eggman saw where his adversary was going, and the mech's massive spiked gauntlets were quick to scoop the armadillo up and clench him tightly. Mighty struggled in the mech's death grip, much to Eggman's delight.

..

"_Whoops, looks like I spoke too soon. Rocky, be a good boy and give our pal a hand down there?"_

"_Yes, Commander."_

..

A flash of blue light shot out from the invisible aircraft, and formed into a blue-armored humanoid. Neither Mighty nor Eggman noticed it, because they were too busy trying to out-muscle each other.

"Ho-ho-ho-ho! You should have stayed out of this, you has-been hero!" gloated the mad doctor.

As Mighty continued to push his way to freedom, he grit his teeth and let out a frustrated growl.

But then, a new voice called out- a much younger voice: "Hey! Pick on your own kind, you big bully!"

"What?" gasped Eggman's voice from the mech, as its round face beamed up at the blue figure standing nearby. The mech's X-Ray scanner was quick to note that the figure was completely metallic. It was a fellow robot challenging it! "How dare you," snarled Eggman through his mech.

The mech's free hand took aim and launched its spiky gauntlet at the stranger.

The stranger quickly replied by morphing his left arm into a cannon. **Pew-pew-pew !** Yellow balls of energy shot from the cannon, but they barely scratched the gauntlet being flung at him. He jumped out of the way just as the spikes closed in. That was close; he was never a fan of spikes.

With Mighty still in its grasp, the mech jumped forward to squash the bug of a blue robot. It took another swipe at the boyish creature, but again he jumped with amazing agility. His eyes focused on the mech's face, careful not to target the living creature that was currently held captive. His aim was perfect; another shot of his Mega Buster, and the mech's eyes were hit.

Eggman steered his mech backward, as though he himself were stunned and temporarily blinded. He failed to see that the little blue robot had scaled the mech's free arm and was coming straight for him.

"Deploy: Metal Blades!" shouted the blue robot, and with that his armor changed from blue hues to green ones.

His arm cannon switched back to a gloved hand, but now it was sporting a giant saw-blade. He had caught the mad doctor completely by surprise when his saw-blade easily sliced through the mech's face and exposed him from inside.

Suddenly, the little robot stopped his assault, once he realized that there was a living creature within the mech- and a human, nonetheless. This frustrated him, and it was clear to see as his crystal blue eyes narrowed in anger.

Instead of dismantling the mech's head as planned, the robot switched his target to the mech's right arm, which continued to hold Mighty in its grasp. With Mighty now free, the little robot was now able to sheer off the mech's legs and caused it to topple without fear of harming the armadillo. With his mission complete, the boyish robot's armor switched back to its blue color scheme.

Still stuck in his cockpit, Eggman howled, "Noooo!" as he helplessly rolled down the hill like… well, like an egg. The two heroes paused to hear a soft crash from the other side of the hill, satisfied that their enemy was no longer a threat. But their moment of peace was short-lived.

Gazing up at the blue, metallic stranger, Mighty grit his teeth and balled his fists. "What's this? A new kind of Egg-Pawn?"

The robot boy blinked his crystal blue eyes. "Egg-pawn? Uh… I'm a robot, Mister. My name's Meg-"

"I don't care what your name is!" snapped the red mammal as he raised his fists, making the robot step backward nervously.

"W-wait!" he gasped. "I- I don't wanna fight you, Mister."

"You might not_ look_ like one of Eggman's, but I know trouble when I see it," accused Mighty, pointing his judgmental finger at the boy.

"I just saved your life."

"Nice try! You don't fool me; you robots are all the same deep down."

"Please, Mister, I don't want any trouble," pleaded the boyish robot, raising his blue gauntlets defensively, but that didn't stop the armadillo from cracking his knuckles.

**-ZAP!-**

Mighty would have gone through with his assault, had it not been for a sudden blue laser shooting the ground between him and the robot.

"Okay, boys, break it up!" came a sudden voice, causing the two fighters to give pause.

Mighty followed the voice to a person he hoped to never see again. Recognizing the long ears and lime-green fur, he shuddered.

"Sorry for the alarm pal," smiled the green hare to the red-shelled armadillo. "You remember me, right? Jazz Jackrabit, at your service. This is my field captain, Rock."

"Or Mega Man," smiled the robot, "whichever you prefer." The robot then extended his hand for a shake, but the armadillo gave him a suspicious glare instead. This made the boy lower his arm and frown in discouragement.

"Relax," sighed the green hare, "he's on_ our_ side."

Mighty narrowed his eyes at the green hare. "Thanks for the head's up."

Jazz felt his negative vibes and grinned sheepishly. "Uh, in case you were wondering, we didn't just show up here to ruffle your feathers. "

"I know why you're here," said Mighty darkly. "I already turned down your offer once; how many times do I have to say 'No' to get you people off my back?"

The blue humanoid robot looked offended and frowned, "You shouldn't talk to that Commander like that."

"Butt out, Metalhead!"

"Hey, hey,_ hey_!" shouted Jazz in exasperation. He jumped in between the two potential rivals, but as he stood with Mega Man to his back, it was clear whose side he was on. "If this is how it's gonna be between you two, then I guess I should have gone with my first choice."

"Well, fine!" shouted Mighty. But no sooner than he said that, a spark of curiosity went off in his head. "…What do you mean by that?"

"You're not nearly as famous as that Sonic character," Jazz frowned. "Now even your Chaotix friends' reputation comes close. Only Sonic's presence came up on our radar, and we wanted him right from the get-go. But do you wanna know what happened when we finally caught up with the guy?"

"Which wasn't easy, by the way," added Mega Man.

Mighty paused in silence.

"Not only did he turn us down, but he actually recommended we come see _you_! Your name was the first one he dropped; he said you'd be more than happy to see new worlds, since you like traveling and all. And, on top of that, he told us how easy you are to get along with. Huh, guess we've confused you for another Mighty Armadillo."

Now at long last, Mighty was humbled. His heart sank and his face bowed in shame. Sonic, the most famous hedgehog in the whole universe, recommended him for an elite group of heroes! It was truly amazing.

Seeing the sudden change in the armadillo's demeanor, Jazz softened up. "So you_ are_ Mighty the Armadillo."

"I am," nodded the red-shelled hothead.

"It's an honor to meet you sir," smiled Mega Man, seemingly forgetting the armadillo's animosity toward him.

Again, Mighty was humbled as he turned to the friendly robot. "I… I'm sorry for my behavior earlier. It's just… a lot to take in, you know?"

"I understand," nodded the robot.

Jazz then let out a sigh. "Well, if you need more time, we'll give it to ya. But not much; we're kind of on a tight schedule here."

Reaching into his blue backpack, Jazz pulled out a small box with a radio control button on it. On command, the small spaceship that was invisible until now suddenly materialized into plain view. It was white and sleek, shaped like an abstract goose in flight, it seemed. On its front was a single large window that resembled a human-like eye with a bright orange iris; the rest of its "head" was beak-like. The only other color it had was the logo and emblem on its curvy sides. It hovered just one foot off the ground, close enough for Mighty to take a closer look at it.

As Mighty examined the side of the ship, he read the words painted beside the emblem of a black iris: "'Aperture Industries… What's that?'" he wondered aloud.

Jazz glanced up at the label and frowned solemnly. "The last remnants of a very distant world. Long story short: There was a war, and they lost… But on the bright side, they formed our group, and we've made an oath to ensure that no other planet gets destroyed like theirs did. That's why we're called The Redemption Squad."

"Where are they now?" asked the curious and awestruck armadillo.

"On a space colony, drifting in a whole lot of nothing. And that's where they'll stay until peace is preserved all over the universe. That's the mission, in a nutshell. And we'd be honored to have a strong warrior like you on our team."

Unsure of what to say, mighty looked to the young robot, who nodded in agreement with his Commander.

"But," added Jazz, "like I said; if you need time, take it. Rock and I have to get ready for the long trek home."

The two travelers were walking toward their spaceship and nearly made it to the doors when they heard, "Wait."

As they turned to him, the armadillo looked back with a look of sorrow in his face. To their surprise, the next words out of his mouth were, "Can I at least… have some time to say goodbye?"

…

…

It didn't take long for Mighty to find his old colleagues; in fact, he managed to get a hold of the Chaotix that very night. Their meeting was short and bittersweet:

"You're going away?"

"Yes, Charmy. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but… it's for the best, believe me."

"Hmph… This isn't about the detective agency, is it?"

"No Vector, it's not."

"'Cause you can work for free, that's fine by me!"

"This isn't about that. Trust me."

"Will you at least contact us if we're needed?" asked the purple chameleon.

"Sure."

"Does Sonic know? Does Tails?" asked a sorrowful Charmy, who was already on the verge of tears.

"Sonic knows… I'm sure he'll tell the others soon."

"W-well… We'll miss you, Mighty."

He wasn't expecting that hug, even though he knew Charmy to be a sensitive and animate little bee. It almost broke him down.

"Well you guys… I'm off. Take care of things around here while I'm gone."

"Always," nodded Vector.

Charmy couldn't say anymore, as the lump in his throat began to choke. Espio comforted him with a pat on the back.

And that was pretty much it; with one wave goodbye, Mighty the Armadillo was gone out of their lives. Again.

.

"You ready, soldier?" asked Commander Jazz as he stood outside next to the floating spacecraft.

Mighty tugged at the arm-strap of his trusty old brown leather backpack. "As I'll ever be," he sighed.

And thus, a new chapter of his life had begun; somewhere out in the unknown of space and time. Perhaps fame would catch up with him again, only on a much bigger scale this time. But somehow, he knew it would never come to that. He would still be a steadfast worker, ready and willing to do his part in making the universe a better place, only now there was no threat of being hounded by adoring fans, or being asked to do feats of strength for the amusement of others, for he could be assured that those moments would be few and far between.

And that made him a happy armadillo, indeed.

..

..

**END (But not quite)**

.

**Continued in "THE REDEMPTION SQUAD"- COMING SOON**

**(For another sneak preview, read "Redemption Squad Prologue: Level Zero")**

**..**

**..**

**CREDITS**

**Mighty, Eggman, Sonic and Egg-Pawns belong to SEGA**

**Mega Man belongs to CAPCOM**

**Jazz Jackrabbit belongs to EpicGames**


	131. The Lost World Conspiracy: Lost World

_I've been watching a Let's Play of _"Sonic Lost World"_ on You Tube to get the actual dialogue. I have my own theory as to why the main cast is talking so darkly, but this was made for humor and not to be taken as head-canon._

**WARNING!**_ This contains some spoilers of the new game. If you don't want to know what happens halfway into the story, then stop reading now! …..But then, how will you ever judge my latest story? ….Okay, you can read on, just- no, wait! I hate spoiling plot points. Oh, but I love reviews…. Ugh…. Just, read at your own risk, goodbye!_

.

"**THE "LOST WORLD' CONSPIRACY"**

**A "Sonic Lost World" Drabble**

**Snodin**

**.**

**Frozen Factory**

The sky was painted in stars and the snow glistened, but the scene was far from tranquil.

After defeating the only female member of the mysterious impish group known as the Zeti, Sonic and Tails had time to relax a bit. Though while in the company of their eternal enemy, Doctor Eggman and his geometric robot minions, the mood was as chilled as the snow beneath their shoes.

Suddenly, a block of ice was lit up; the Zetti, led by the big red, devil-horned guy (Sonic could care less about their names at this point), somehow televised a monitor reflection onto the ice wall. They were transmitting this message from the hidden Eggman base which they've recently taken over (much to Eggman's frustration).

"Your efforts are impressive, little hedgehog," said the red demon in a deep and confident voice. "But "ou are destined to fail, as that fat fool has failed before you." With that, he pointed directly at the egg-shaped human to his far right, causing the mad dctor to get even madder.

Eggman rose from the seat of ice blocks he made to storm up to the ice screen. "I'll get fat by eating your black hearts, you Eggman wannabes!" he raged.

To both their awe and amusement, Sonic and Tails exchanged, "Woah"s.

The red demon wasn't the least bit intimidated; he gloated, "Your threats are almost as amusing as your mustache. I must commend you on your inventions though; we get stronger and stronger as we leech the life from your dying world."

"Yeah," frowned Sonic. "I've noticed."

"Where're you gonna live once your world's dead, guys?" mocked the purple Zetti known as Zazz. "Oh, right! _You'll_ be dead, too!" he laughed. "Too bad for you."

Eggman's ire grew all the more as he approached the screen's reflection on the ice wall. "I will burn your worlds, you rebellious scum! I will destroy everything you love and make you watch!"

"…um…" murmured a concerned Sonic.

"I'll… I'll… I'LL!" echoed the furious doctor, as he mashed his fists into the wall, knocking out chunk by chunk until the monitor's reflection could no longer be seen.

Sonic, meanwhile, grew all the more worried. "Uh…?"

With one great punch, Eggman shattered the wall completely, then grasped his bruised gloved hand.

"Boss!" exclaimed a frightened Orbot. "Your hands…"

To which, Eggman darkly declared, "As long as I can still strangle a Zeti, my hands are fine."

"Okay, stop. Stop, stop, stop, **stop**."

All eyes turned to the blue hedgehog, who walked up to the mad doctor with his hands in "Time Out" position. "Strangulation? Genocide? Tails on his period?"

"Hey!" barked an insulted two-tailed fox.

"Seriously dude," replied Sonic, "you've had a bad 'tude ever since we stopped by Eggman's base. Just take your Midol and a chocolate chip cookie already."

"But I-"

Sonic stopped him with a raised hand. "Guys. For real, here. This isn't us! We trash talk, yeah, and rib on each other, sure- but not like _this_! All this talk about death and revenge… it's almost as if this script was done by… oh…. Oh, I get it now!"

Without warning, Sonic zipped out of the scene in a blue blur, leaving his company to wonder what happened to him.

…

In a blank room, with lights beaming down from a blank ceiling, a pair of gloves with red lining and Power Rings for inhibitor bracelets was typing away at a computer keyboard:

_And then The Eggman pulled out his two enormous guns and declared, "I will send you all straight to hell, with the power of my seven damn Chaos Emeralds!"_ he typed.

**SLAM!** Went the door behind him.

Shadow, caught by surprised, turned away from the computer to see his blue rival staring him down.

"I KNEW IT!" roared the blue hedgehog.

"Crap," muttered Shadow, as he gave chase.

The two of them would chase each other for hours on end before the final draft of the script was printed. And that's why the game got pushed back until late October.

..

**END**


	132. Everyone's A Critic Lost World Aftermath

_Yes kiddies, you're getting two "Lost World" Drabbles in a row. This one is meant to poke fun at recent reviews of the game and the backlash of such reviews from the die-hard fans. _

_I'm not taking either side of the argument; I'm simply seeing this from a neutral point of view. But if you really want to know how I feel about the game (from what I've seen), then just read what Sonic says here._

.

"**EVERYONE'S A CRITIC"**

**A "Sonic Lost World" Drabble**

**Snodin**

**.**

Nestled in a peaceful, green forest was a small hut which the heroes of Mobius, Sonic and Tails, liked to call "home."

They had recently been through a hellish experience, dealing not only with their long-time foe Doctor Eggman, but also a group of unruly, machine-controlling imps called the Zeti. Having just barely saved the entire planet from being turned into a frozen wasteland, the fuzzy duo nestled peacefully in their respective beds- Sonic in a hammock, and Tails curled up on the couch.

Unfortunately, this tranquil moment was cut short, by the sudden bursting of the front door, followed by two red and pink figured storming in from outside.

"SONIC! TAILS!"

"IT'S NOT MINE!" yelped Sonic out of his deep sleep, startling his two-tailed friend napping nearby. His limbs flailing, Sonic accidentally threw himself out of his hammock, landing hard on his back onto the wooden floor.

Tails, his fur puffed up in fright, was the first of the two to recognize the figures that swooped in unannounced: "Amy? Knuckles? What's going on?"

Jumping to his feet and ignoring the pain in his back, Sonic was frantic. "Is it the Zeti? Did they come back? Is there a bonus stage?"

"It's terrible," lamented the pink female hedgehog. "Just terrible!"

Waving a rolled up newspaper in his spiked mitts, Knuckles the Echidna looked just as outraged. "You wouldn't believe it, guys."

"Is it Eggman looking for Round Two?" asked a puzzled Sonic.

"Is it a new threat altogether?" asked Tails.

"Well? What is it?" demanded an impatient blue hedgehog.

Knuckles unraveled the newspaper and presented it to his friends. "It's all over the front page: '_Sonic And Tails Win By Skin of Their Teeth_,'" he read.

"Huh?" murmured a confused hedgehog and fox.

Amy Rose, with her balled hands on her chin, frowned in despair. "All of the major newspapers are calling your newest adventure… well… lackluster!"

"Can you believe this?" growled Knuckles in fury. "They say you and Tails weren't- quote, unquote- 'fast enough.'"

Sonic cocked his head like a curious puppy. "Really?"

Tails raised an eyebrow. "Huh."

While scanning the front page, Knuckles explained, "They say there were too many obstacles in the way- too much focus on exploring, not enough on actual world-saving."

"Others say your new friends the Wisps weren't much help at all," added Amy, who seemed to know the news articles by heart. "They were just 'there,' and 'for show.'"

"Hmm," frowned Sonic, though the tired look in his eyes hinted that he was only slightly offended.

Knuckles went on to add, "And some suggest that the bad guys weren't hard to beat at all, that a mere child could have beaten them."

"Hey," said a now offended blue hedgehog. "Tails is no mere child!"

The little fox turned to his brotherly companion with a look of offense. "I don't think that's what they meant," he corrected him.

"Basically," raged Knuckles as he crumpled the newspaper in his rock-solid grip, "they're calling your heroic deeds nothing more than a romp in the woods with little to show for. I mean, you just _saved the whole planet_, and they're not even congratulating you guys!"

"I've got a hammer just for this occasion," beamed Amy. "Just point me right at them, and I'll swing away."

Sonic and Tails glanced at each other, both astonished and a little confused. But finally, after giving it some careful thought, the blue hedgehog finally opened his mouth to state his true feelings: "…I really don't care."

"WHAT?" gasped a horrified pink she-hog and echidna.

Sonic brushed back his quills as he explained, "Well yeah, I'd appreciate a pat on the back or something, but the critics are gonna do what critics always do: nitpick and complain about the little things. It's kinda their job."

"But," argued Knuckles, who unfolded the newspaper to re-read it and almost tearing it in half in the process, "these 'little things' include requiring aid from Doctor Eggman- the guy you've been fighting for over twenty years now!"

Sonic shrugged, "Eh, he was bound to crack sooner or later."

"They say you guys were lazy," complained Amy, "and out of character!"

"Well," frowned the two-tailed fox with tired eyes, "I'll admit I was really moody at the time, but I was on my period."

"Uh, dude?" smirked Sonic. "I was just kidding when I said that."

"Well, I took your advice and ate a chocolate chip cookie and felt a hundred percent better afterwards."

"….oh…kay?" replied a wide-eyed Sonic, who gingerly took a step back from his foxy friend.

Squeezing the poor newspaper in his grasp again, Knuckles' ire went unquenched. He ranted, "These guys couldn't be bothered to help an old lady cross a street, and they have the NERVE to call you guys lazy and hypocritical. Doesn't that bother you at all? Don't you just wanna tell those jerks off?"

Sonic's only response to that was a roll of his eyes and a weak, "Meh."

"Sonic!" barked Amy. "Aren't you paying any attention? Don't you hear what they're saying about you? Don't you care at all?"

The blue hedgehog gingerly sat up in his seat and replied as cooly as ever, "Guys, relax. If all we did was worry about what the critics said about us, then we wouldn't get anything done around here. I was there, Tails was there, you and Knuckles were… sort of there. Those news reporters weren't. That's all there is to it; we know what happened, so it really doesn't matter what anybody else says."

"I agree," nodded Tails. "I for one am glad it's all over, and that the world was saved."

"That's all that really matters," concluded his blue buddy.

Amy paused to rub her chin in deep thought before saying, "I guess you're right."

"Yeah," smiled Knuckles as he tore the helpless newspaper into shreds. "Forget the press! Who needs it? I sure don't."

"That's more like it," smiled Sonic. But then a thought went through the blue hedgehog's mind, and he dropped his smile to a concerned frown. "…Say, Knuckles? You've been here with us this whole time, right?"

"Yeah?"

"…Aren't you supposed to be watching a certain Master Emerald?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Rouge promised she'd look after it while I'm gone."

The red echidna stared there with his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face.

His friends stared at him blankly…

….And kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…Amy blinked. And the group still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…Tails and Sonic blinked. And the group still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…Knuckles coughed. Amy blinked twice. And the group still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

…And still kept staring…

"Wait," he finally realized.

..

..

From the edge of the high-flying Angel Island, just as she was starting to hoist the massive green gem off of the beach, Rouge could hear a distant but truly loud and vengeful scream:

"_CURSE YOU, BAT-GIIIIIRRRRLLLL!"_

..

**END**


	133. Sonic And Shadow Read A Book

_Okay, I'll admit it: This one is really, really stupid._

_I came up with this idea just this morning after being reminded of one of my all-time favorite stories, _"The Giving Tree"_ by Shel Silverstein. And an idea popped into my head: "What if Sonic and Shadow read this story? What would their reviews be like?" And here you go._

_This will likely be a one-time thing, or it could be the start of a whole new series of Drabbles called _"Sonic And Shadow Read…"_ But I'll leave that entirely up to you guys._

_By the way, if you haven't already, please red _"The Giving Tree."_ It's such a beautiful tale._

.

"**SONIC AND SHADOW READ A BOOK"**

**A Sonic and Shadow Drabble**

**Credit to Shel Silverstein**

**Snodin**

**.**

Shadow the Hedgehog was bored.

As a member of G.U.N., it was his goal in life to patrol the world and catch criminals, but lately even the nefarious Doctor Eggman was lying low. There was no one for him to hunt, and sitting around waiting for something to happen would have just driven him crazy. So he decided to take off from Headquarters on his rocket shoes, tearing through the streets to burn off some energy.

He dashed past a local library in a black and red blur. Something caught his eye as he zipped by, and so he returned in a snap. Lo and behold, there were outside seatings and small round tables for casual readers, and one of them just happened to be the blue-furred hedgehog, Sonic. He was all alone, reading a big green-colored book under the shade of an elm tree on a stone bench. He looked so focused, and so stilled, that it intrigued the black hedgehog.

Like a snake in the grass, the Ultimate Life Form slithered up to Sonic, hoping to scare him. But just as he reached out and ready to tap his shoulder, Shadow's fierce red eyes fell onto the page of the book. Judging by its simple illustrations and bold text, this was undoubtedly a children's book. How odd, he thought, that a seemingly mature person such as Sonic would be reading something so childish. The more he stared puzzled at the pages as they turned, the more he began to realize that he was reading over the blue guy's shoulder.

Sonic, meanwhile, felt a presence behind him but he chose to ignored it, as his interest was firmly fixed on his book. He knew going into this story that it would have either a really touching ending, or a really sad one. I mean, how often do you read about something as inanimate as a tree acting so nobly and generously to an average human? The tree, seemingly sentient, willingly sacrificed parts of its body for its human companion, time and time again. And for what, he wondered? Surely there was a prize waiting for him at the end! …right?

But as both hedgehogs read the final lives of Shel Silvertein's _"The Giving Tree,"_ both of them gave a unanimous sigh of sorrow.

"…Wow," mused the black hedgehog. "That guy is an asshole."

"Wha?" peeped Sonic, turning to the stalker beside him.

"That guy in the book," explained Shadow. "He let that poor tree give up everything for him- even his whole trunk- and not _once_ did he ever say, 'Thank you.'"

As stunned as Sonic was to even see Shadow there, he couldn't help but take in the older hedgehog's words. An idea came across the blue boy's mind, and he smiled. "Or maybe… Maybe the tree never talked to begin with."

"Huh?"

"Maybe the boy was just imagining the tree talking all along- it was all in his head. It could explain why he never showed his gratitude, and you know how kids are with their wild imaginations."

The black hedgehog's eyes glazed in wonder for a brief moment; for once, he was astonished by his rival's sudden burst of wisdom and deep thinking. But as quickly as his wonder came, it went.

"OR…. Maybe he's just as asshole."

Sonic couldn't help but smirk. "Heh. Yeah. Maybe."

..

**END**


	134. The More You Know: Sonic, Marine

_This is based on a rumor (or perhaps solid fact) that Sonic's original sidekick was going to be a flying raccoon instead of a fox. That idea was scrapped because Mario beat him to it with the Tanuki suit. And knowing what kind of raccoon we'd get in this franchise, you could say we….. dodged a bullet? Heh? HEH? …Meh._

.

"**THE MORE YOU KNOW"**

**A Sonic (And… Ugh… Marine) Drabble**

**Snodin**

**.**

In no particular living room of no particular house, a teenage girl was browsing the internet when an ad for Geico popped up. As she looked at it, she read the tagline out loud: "Huh… 'Fifteen minutes could save you up to fifteen percent on car insurance' with Geico."

"Yep," said her no-nonsense mother as she walked by while carrying a basket of dirty clothes. "Everybody knows that."

Not wanting to be outdone, the young girl came up with her own mind-boggling question: "Well… Did you know that Sonic the Hedgehog's first sidekick was going to be a raccoon?"

The mom paused to imagine what kind of outcome such an idea would spawn…

.

**In an alternate Emerald Hill Zone…**

With tired eyes and drooped quills and ears, the once great Sonic was now rendered into a shell of his former self, all thanks to the new sidekick that was assigned to him.

A shame really; Marine was such a cute little raccoon. She had a lime green tank top and midnight blue shorts, and pigtails for hair. She seemed harmless enough, except for the fact that once she opened her mouth, she riddled her companion with endless spurts of Aussie-slanged nonsense.

"And then I said to me-self, 'Marine,' I said, 'You should name that boat after you. After all, you DID build it all by yourself. Stewth! Ripper! I went and named that little boat the S.S. Marine, 'S.S.' meaning 'Super Special!'" And then I hopped along to the next island, and I could see that it was just begging to be named after me, so I called it 'Island Marine.' And I would be its queen, of course! I discovered it, I did!"

He tried to stop her. He really did. He tried begging, bribing, threatening her life, but the little raccoon girl just would. Not. Stop. Talking. (And the fact that her voice was high-pitched and nasily didn't help matters.)

"And I went and found all kinds of stones: rubies, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds! Oh, did you know that there are seven Chaos Emeralds? Strewth! I ain't talkin' out me bum 'ere, mate! Seven! Just think of it, seven beautiful emeralds with all colors- Wait! If they have different colors, can you still call them emeralds? I always thought emerald was a shade of green."

Hours after hours, she just went on and on and on and on and on. He couldn't take it anymore. With his last ounce of willpower, he gently pulled out a gun from behind his back.

"Anyway, I went and gathered up all the jewels I found and put them on me boat- I named it the SS Marine, remember- that's important to remember! I'm the Captain of the ship, you know."

Slowly, he opened the revolver's bullet casing.

"Anyway, I took those gems to the nearest island where I could trade them in for more boating material- cause you know, a ship's captain always has to look out for what's best for 'er ship. Did I mention I named me ship after me?"

He placed a single bullet into the slot, and cocked the gun back.

"Blimey! There's a timer up in that left-hand corner! Is someone filmin' this? Are we on camera right now? Oh! They must be makin' a documentary about me adventures as a ship captain! Ripper, I'm a star!"

He aimed the gun barrel at the side of his head.

"I think I'll call it, 'The Adventures of Captain Marine.' I'm a captain of me own ship, did I tell ya that? Roight-o, I am! Anyway, on me way to the next island, I came across this old geezer with a beard. I reckoned he was a pirate, and sure enough he was yammerin' on about how he was gonna blow me ship down- Did I mention I had a ship? Anyway, he tried to blow me up, but I gave him one for! Boo-yah! Ripper! I'm Australian, I am! Did you know that, mate? Did ya?"

..

**GEICO.**

**Fifteen minutes could save you up to fif- **_**BLAM!**_


	135. How It Should Have Ended: Issue 177

.

"**HOW ISSUE #177 SHOULD HAVE ENDED"**

**An Archie Comics/HISHE Story**

**Snodin**

**Requested by verifiaman**

**.**

Somewhere in the distant future, the planet is completely decimated. The once magnificent Angel Island is now a shell of its former self, drifting as a small teetered mound in the vast ocean. Cities are burning, life clings to desperation, and the sky is an infinite yellow caked in smog and ash.

This is the home of Silver the Hedgehog, a young and gifted adventurer with silvery-white fur and bangs stuck up on his head like the leaves of a marijuana plant. His limbs, shoes and gloves are streaked with an otherworldly teal glow, and his beady eyes are a bright yellow. Born with telekinesis, he is now the apprentice for a very old but very wise wooly mammoth named Master Mogul. While the rest of their environment is bleak and covered in soot, the sage and the hedgehog knelt facing together like a kung fu master to a trainee.

"Silver, my trusty student," said the wise old mammoth, "I have lived on this planet far too long, and I have seen many things that your young mind could not possibly fathom."

"What things, Master Mogul?" asked the curious young hedgehog.

"Well, it all started when an Overlander named Julian betrayed the king of Mobotropolis, then he decided that name was gay and changed it to Docor Ivo Robotnik, then he thought that name was even gayer and changed it again to Doctor Eggman."

"….Eggman's the gayest name of them all."

"He was a twisted man. Anyway, after he took over the city and dubbed it Robotropolis, a great revolution began, led by a blue hedgehog and a chipmunk princess."

"What ever happened to them, Master?"

"Well, things went bad when they were betrayed."

"Oh, no! A traitor? Why? Who?"

"Funny you should ask that, Silver. You see, since all of this happened in my own time, I know exactly what will happen: You will take a Time Stone and go back to the past to find the traitor of whom I speak, and you will make the same mistake over and over and over again, until at last you find that traitor. Only by the time you find her, she would already have been roboticized and under Eggman's complete control, and thus many lives will be ruined."

"Wait, wait… You already_ know_ this will all happen? Why don't you just TELL me who she is?"

"Because I'm old and senile."

"Oh."

"Oh, and you might want to change your hairstyle, my boy. People are going to make a lot of weed jokes."

"Aww."

..

..

**Issue #177- How It Should Have Ended**

Out of thin air, the residents of Knothole Village reappeared, finding soft grass beneath their feet. Dazed and confused, they looked around to find that they were in a completely new environment: fully-constructed homes, paved roads, and fresh greenery, and even a new Lake of Rings. Was this Knothole? No, it couldn't be, it was burned to the ground!

As they paused to gather in their surroundings, a bright green aura appeared before them. The aura, bathed in computer data, formed the body of a female lynx dressed in purple threads. "Greetings, everyone!" she smiled. "Welcome to New Mobotropolis! I'll be your hostess, Nicole."

"Nicole?" gasped Tails the Fox. "You mean you built this entire city out of thin air?"

"Well no," explained the she-lynx. "It's made entirely out of billions and billions of microscopic computers called Nanites."

"That's… extremely convenient," observed King Maximillian.

"I know, right?" smiled the she-lynx. "I suppose I could have just told you all about this little project of mine, but I was going to wait until the right moment, and since Eggman was already teleporting you all to his energy-draining Egg Grapes, I thought, 'Meh, now's a batter time than ever.'"

"If this is all computerized," pondered Tails, "then isn't it susceptible to a computer hacker, and if so couldn't it easily turn on us and be more like a giant prison than a paradise?"

"Um… uhh… Uh-oh! Eggman's coming! I better setup the defense cannons!" And with that, **"Poof!"** Nicole was gone.

Sonic, who was still recovering from his latest battle with the Eggman, cracked his knuckles and growled, "Alright! Since we've got the whole gang here, we can take out Eggman in one go. Come on, Freedom Fighters, let's fry that egg!"

"Yeah!" they all cheered.

.

**One Beatdown Later.**

The once victorious Eggman was now overpowered and outmatched by the full might of both the Freedom Fighters and The Chaotix- maybe capturing them all in one go wasn't such a great idea. But there he was, having the Blue Blur spin through his Eggmobile like a bullet knocking him onto the soft ground. Not his most glorious moment to be sure.

"You said this was all a gam to you?" snorted Sonic the Hedgehog, as he and Princess Sally looked down on him at their feet. "We've chosen to continue. Game on, Ro-Butt-Nik."

Being the peaceful diplomat that she was, Princess Sally raised her pointed finger outward and declared, "You're trespassing on royal grounds. As princess, I order you to retreat back to New Megopolis."

"Wait!" peeped the hedgehog. "Hold on, Sal. We're just gonna let him go?"

"Well… yeah. We're not murderers, Sonic. We're a peaceful people."

"B-but… He just kidnapped all of us, burned down our village, and then tried to kill us slowly with his Egg Grapes! Plus he just broke Rotor's back, and rendered Charmy Bee into a wonky, irritable child!"

"Hmm… Good point, Sonic. Guards, seize him! The charge is kidnapping, arson and attempted murder."

"You think you can get away with this?" roared Eggman as he sat up. "Eggfleet: FIRE!"

"Oh yeah," frowned Sonic as he remembered the armada painted with Eggman logos hovering over the city. "I forgot about them."

Sonic and friends looked up to see missiles raining down on them, but then a pale holographic shield came over them, blocking off the missiles as they exploded in vain.

Nicole appeared in her lynx form through the great wall of the city and looked down on Eggman like an angel of judgment. "My friends are showing you more mercy than you deserve, Eggman. I suggest you honor that and-"

"Chaos Control!" **–BAMF!**

"What the?" gasped Eggman as a blue of black and red appeared out of nowhere.

**BANG!**

All mouths hung in shock and horror, as the once great Eggman slumped to the ground, a bullet hole cutting through the brow of his domed head. Their eyes then turned to the black and red hedgehog that stood over him, a green Chaos Emerald in one hand, a smoking gun in the other.

"There," sighed Shadow the Hedgehog. "I finally got rid of that accursed Doctor once and for all."

"Sh-sh-Shadow…?" muttered a bewildered Sonic. "Y-you… you just… _killed Eggman_!"

The black hedgehog glared back with fierce red eyes. "…Yeah? And?"

"And… And….."

"Look, you goody-two-shoes were just going to give him a slap of the wrist and let him continue his reign of terror," said Shadow in a deadpanned voice.

"I would have thrown him in jail," argued Sally.

"Sure," replied Shadow. "And he would have escaped, and he would come back with an even more diabolical plan. I mean hell, he could have rebuilt the Death Egg and nab all seven Chaos Emeralds to reshape the world as he would see fit, for all you know! Can you imagine having to put up with that? I at least have the balls to finish him once and for all! Now if you'll excuse me, there's some Deadly Six that need a good talking to. CHAOS CONTROL!" **–BAMF! **He vanished.

After a minute or two of stunned silence, Sonic couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. "This is why we don't give him his own games anymore."

..

..

_Meanwhile, back in the future…_

"You know Master," said the slightly smug Silver, "you could just use that Time Stone to go back to the time when Julian made his coup and kill him right then and there. Could save us all a whole lot of trouble."

"Ha," laughed the old mammoth. "Hahahahahaha! Oh Silver, you are a funny boy. Everyone knows that you can't save the world if you're not even recognized by SEGA of Japan."

Silver was speechless.

.

**END**

…

**Inspired by the Youtube series "How It Should Have Ended," by HISHEdotcom.**


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